Art Camp

The past couple of weeks I've been helping out one of my teachers with an arts camp for kids at SUU. It was so much fun! There were 31 kids ages 6-12 and they were so cute and super smart and super creative. We learned about photography, print making, they made masks, sketched, and all kinds of fun stuff. We dyed scarves with kool-aid (see here) and turned the masks into puppets which turned out pretty awesome and the kids went on a parade with their puppets around campus. They also learned about different artists and went to the art museum and practiced looking at the different elements of art in different pieces. It was so much fun.

One cool project they did was a stop motion movie. They started off making flip books to learn about animation and how to make their pictures move. They then broke off into groups and were given two parts of a song called "Colors". They illustrated their part of the song on a white board and took a picture of it. They then changed a little bit of it and took another picture. The teacher then took all the pictures and put them into a slideshow to make a movie. It turned out so cool. The kids were super excited about (especially super excited to be on youtube). On the last day, they had an art show for their parents where they showcased all their art and their movie. The kids were so cute and kept pointing out everything they did the movie.

You can watch their movie here. Every picture in this movie was taken by the kids. The self portraits they did was on the photography day where they learned about the rule of thirds and how pose to make the picture more interesting. They crack me up.

Once upon a time I bought a cell phone charger and then went to Wal-Mart

I caved and bought a new charger. All I have to say is that my old one better not be showing up anytime soon.

I went to Wal-Mart to buy some salad dressing. While I'm in the salad dressing aisle, I overhear two old ladies talking. (Confession time: I tend to eaves drop more than occasionally.) Old lady 1 was telling old lady 2 that her nephew just had a baby girl. She looks just like her mommy and weighed 8 pounds. Old lady 2 asked her what they named her.
Old lady 1 said "They named her Elizabeth."
"Ew, really?" said Old lady 2.
"I know, not my first choice. I always thought that was a whorish name." (K, at first I thought she said horrid, but then I heard the next line)
Old lady 2 said, "All the Elizabeth's I know are just so loose jumping around from man to man. I don't know what parents are thinking naming their daughters that."
Old lady 1, "Hopefully this little girl will go by Liz or something, or maybe her middle name Rose."
Old lday 2, "Rose, I've always loved that name. They should have named her that."
Then they caught me listening and muttered something about inconsiterate young people as they walked away.
Then I bought my salad dressing and went back to my apartment and laughed about it with my roommates. We decided that old people are awesome.
Sometimes I can't wait to be old and say whatever I want. Haha
p.s. I don't think I've heard anyone say "whorish" besides Angela from The Office. Maybe these old ladies watch every Thursday.

Lesson learned

I have learned an important lesson this week. Most things in this life are temporary and only bring temporary happiness. Let me explain:

1. I lost my cell phone charger. My phone is 100% dead. The only communication I have with my life outside of Cedar is through the internet.

2. My computer is super sick. I have a killer virus or something. I was able to save my all my stuff onto a portable hard drive so I am all set, except for the part where my computer randomly shuts down while I am checking my emails, and checking facebook, and reading blogs, and listening to my music, and watching youtube, and doing my homework.

3. Ice cream is delicious. Ice cream is not delicious when you are up all night puking it out. Sorry for that one.

4. I checked out a book at the library. It was awful. I didn't finish it. I dropped it in the toilet at the school. I have to buy the library a new awful one.

But, even all these things are temporary.

So I am going to the rodeo tonight. I've never been so I am super excited! I will take lots of pictures!

By the way, have you seen this? It certainly is about time Disney!

Jakey (I may have cried when I wrote this...)

( Jake and I at my seminary graduation. I don't have a more recent one yet.)
This last weekend, I went home to see my little brother graduate high school. HIGH SCHOOL! It was the craziest thing. I love him so much and I am so proud of him. He's worked so hard in everything he's done. He graduated with 2 medals as an International Baccalaureate and just the stuff he had to do to graduate with that is really mind blowing and I doubt I would have done it as a high schooler such as taking super hard classes, paying lots of money for super hard tests, 100 plus hours of service, and writing a huge paper that was graded by super smart people in Europe (he wrote about the physics of golf) . He also graduated as a Utah State Scholar. He received high honors and is also a seminary graduate. He got accepted to the University of Utah and is going to study Biomedical Engineering. Because of his IB stuff, he is all done with his Gen Eds, which is basically awesome, so he can focus on his engineering classes. This time next year, we will all be anxiously waiting for his mission call...bah!

I can't believe my little brother is all grown up now! He made us all cry at his graduation, including my grandparents I have never seen cry. He spoke, which was super gutsy and so not Jake, but he did amazing. I don't have the video, but you can watch it here on my mom's blog. It's not too long so you should all watch it.

We are all so proud of him, even if some like to make fun of him. (They're just jealous, Jake) He is off to bigger and better things and will accomplish even more and I am so excited to see it all.

I love you Jake!

(k, I may have lied. This is a more recent picture of us)

I passed my test!

Now I can officially be in the block next semester! Yay! To celebrate, I give you one reason why I love The Office.

Hey Elisabeth, the next time you put something in the oven you may want to open the door all the way.

It probably would be a good idea...

Weekend Part 1 Then I think he said a bad word

Friday night I went to hang out with the few remaining friends at Stadium Way. We went to Maggie Moo's (super delish) The carnival is in town. I have never been to a carnival before so we decided to go and check it out. After riding a spinning strawberry and winning a gold fish (named him Jorge Consuelo...he died on my lap on the way back home) One of the people we were with wanted to ride a ride called The Zipper.
I would try to describe how this ride works, but I will just let YouTube explain on this link HERE.
No one else wanted to ride it and you have to have 2 people per seat. Like a dummy, I offered to ride along with him. We sat in the seat...more like a cage...and they tried to shut the door. My Zipper riding friend is 6'8" so that was kind of a challenge which turned into a bit of an awkward moment because he was basically on my lap. Then we took off. It was super fun, but sooooo scary since the whole ride squeaked like it was about ready to fall over. During one point on the ride, while we were doing a 360, I heard our 6"8' friend utter the "D word". Now for all of my bloggin friends who knows this tall friend knows that this isn't possible...he is afraid to see "Twilight" cause it "might be too naughty"...so please discuss. I could be wrong. I was screaming really hard my lung almost flew out as well as the Udderly Amazing Beepbopper icecream I ate just 1 hour before. I probably said it. Anyway, I thought it was pretty funny. Afterward, we went back to the apartments and watched "Three Amigos" which btw I haven't seen in forever and I almost lost my other lung because I was laughing so hard.
It was a good weekend and a lot of fun. I think the summer won't be that bad.
Part 2 is coming soon...it's kind of humiliating.

Cool Video

My brother's showed this to me while I was at home. I thought it was pretty awesome.

Update time

Holy cow it's been a while. Sorry about that. Let's play the update game, k?

I am still in Cedar City. I have to finish up my job here working with moddy teenagers who are even more moody (moodier?) because I told a few of them that they are going to have to do summer school. I complain about them, but really they are a lot of fun. The come and visit me in my office and I got my first graduation announcment. I am excited to go since I have been officially invited.

I am taking an independent study class. This last semester was really hard and I worked really hard the last few weeks of school. I basically lived in the computer lab working on my ESL classes, which I am very happy to say I am all finished with, and studied really hard for math. I got my grades the other day and I probably could have cried just a little bit. Let me tell you. This is what I saw:

EESL 4330 A
EESL 4340 A
ELED 4000 A
EDRG 4020 A
ELED 3535 A
MATH 2020 F (!!!!!)

So my dear friends, I will be here in Cedar for the whole summer so I can take both of my fun classes. This will be my 6th math class I have taken in college. Yay for me (math and me have had a pretty hate hate relationship, so that was sarcastic) Luckily my GPA didn't drop too much so I am able to keep my scholarships. It just kinda pisses me off though. (13 out 100 on my final, 13% friends. Beat that!) But, I will be going into my last run of classes in the fall. It's called the block and it's all the methods classes like Methods of teaching Science, Methods of teaching Lanugage Arts, etc. My classes will be from about 9-3 every other day and two days a week I will be in an elementary school teaching. I am very nervous. Extremely. But super excited. In the spring I will be packing all my crap and heading up north to Provo to student teach. Ya, super excited.

Right now, I am looking for a job to keep the money rolling in and to keep me from ripping my hair out from bordem. Not a whole lot going on around this little town. I went home this last weekend for Mother's Day and had a blast. It was really nice to spend time with my family and lay around being lazy. I am way excited because my friend Sam is coming down to visit the first weekend in June. If anyone wants to come and visit, I will welcome you with open arms and make you cookies. You can even have your own room. We have 2 extra right now and will have 3 extra in a few weeks. Let me know.

Jake is graduating in 2 weeks. My little brother!! Then he packing up and going to the U. Then he is going to leave us for 2 years. Then my other little brother will pack up and go somewhere and then leave for 2 years, then my other little brother, and then my other. It's like a cruel and vicious chain. I will save my tears for the graduation.

Anyway, lunch is over now. I need to get back to work.

p.s. Kris is in the top 2. Kris and Adam. I think someone owes me money. Still loving American Idol.

I sometimes get ansty in sacrament meeting, but that's okay

This last week was spring break and I made it home for the weekend. I had a blast even though I am a looser and basically slept the whole time. I visited with my grandma and grandpa and went to lunch with my grandma. I also spent some time with some friends so that was fun too.

On Sunday, I was able to go to the Draper Temple dedication with my family. It was very neat and I am glad I was able to go and be there with my mom and my brothers.

While I was at the dedication, I realized something. I get pretty ansty sometimes. I bounce my knee, I itch, fix my hair, fix my skirt, change positions every few minutes, etc. I also lead the music with my foot. It drives some people crazy and they always tell me to calm down. It was no different on Sunday, but you know who else gets antsy too?

He switched positions a few times, played with his hands, scratched his head a few time, looked back at the choir singing behind him, looked forward, looked at President Monson, then looked back at the choir again. He even taps his foot to the music and nods his head. President Uchtdorf has always been one of my favorite general authorities, but now he is like numero uno in my book. Plus, my brother likes his hair.

Anyway, I loved the dedication and I am very grateful I was able to be there with my family and was able to spend time with my family during spring break.

Did you watch American Idol last night?

I have this problem with my music. I have roughly 2,500 songs on my itunes (that's like 6 days worth) but I still want MORE. I can't purchase anymore, so if you would like to donate your song from itunes to the "Elisabeth is Sick of Her Music Collection" so she can burn them, that would be fabulous!

I don't have anything else to blog about. Execpt that I am taking this HUGE test in a couple of weeks that determines my classes next fall which will determine when I graduate, it also determines how much money I will have left in my pocket since the test is $130 and if I have to retake it there goes another $130. Wish me luck as I study over spring break.

The infamous todo list

This is my todo list this week. I am so good at making these, you probably should be an tiny bit jealous.

The other night I thought I would be awesome and make chocolate fondue. It looked so pretty, but when I dipped my banana in it and took a bite, the chocolate was burnt. It was all chunky and crsipy and gross. My dear roommates, bless their hearts, ate it anyway and said it wasn't that bad (bless their hearts) You know what else is burnt? Me. I am so sick of school!!!! Let me complain some more. I AM SO SICK OF SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Blah.

Update

There was an institute dance on Friday which I attended. It was a lot of fun...not the best institute dance held, but still a lot of fun. So I was dancing with this kid (maybe he's not a kid since he's a year older than me, but he still is 5 inches shorter) and I stepped on him and sort of rolled my ankle. It kills kills kills!

Also on Friday, I bought some purple shoes. I am wearing said purple shoes right now. They fit very nicely.

And, my hair is doing this weird flippy thing. See:



(I may or may not be in a bathroom as this picture was taken...)

Anyway, hope everyone is having a great day!

Why I am going to teach elementary school

I work at a high school where I help the Native American kids stay on track to graduate. Because more than half of the students are failing, sometimes I have to work up a little motivational push for them to do their assignments. I work with my dear roommate Rojita and somehow I got dubbed as the math tutor. I had mentioned that I can do Algebra I work and now I am the math genius? Let me remind everyone I have barely passed math the last 4 or 5 times I have taken it.

The other day, someone came in and I just couldn't help them. I told them to do the equation one way. They did it, but then I realized that was the wrong equation. I made them erase it. They wrote the other one and solved it. I told them they did it right. But when they went back to check it, they found they made a huge mistake and ended up having to do the whole problem over again. This followed with the next five problems. After that whole ordeal of frustration and "What are you talking about?", they told me they would just go in after school to ask their teacher for help. I think that it's for the best. I just got done helping another girl. I think in the end, we both just wanted to cry. She's coming back in tomorrow so I am taking a math book home to try to relearn it all. Maybe I will bring candy so it's not quite as painful. Could you imagine if I were to actually be a math teacher?

My whole class would cry.

Because I am desperately fishing for comments on my poor blog

The first five people to leave a comment on this blog will receive something made by me. However there are some limitations:

1. I make no guarantee that you will like what I make.
2. What I create will be just for you.
3. It will be done this year. (might take a while)
4. You have not clue what it is going to be, a photo, something I have craftily put together, or sewn. I may bake something and mail it you.
5. I reserve the right to do something extremely strange. It may blow your mind!

Here is the catch, if you choose to do this. You must post this on your blog and be ready to make something for five people too. This will be fun! When you receive the fabulous item I make you, you must post a picture of it on your blog. Because i am so awesome, my awesomeness MUST be spread about the bloggoshpere.

...I may even send out to Argentina or Spain...

Provo Provo Provo!

I am home! I am so excited to be here. I am very grateful it wasn't snowing when I drove back and that my car made it safe and sound and I am sooooo happy to see my family!

Can I vent for second?

I go to school not in Provo with people who aren't in Provo and many who aren't from Utah County. If I hear one more person give me a hard time about Provo... I have heard it all: "oh, you are from the promised land?", "ew, last time I drove through Provo I got so sick to my stomach!", "you're from Provo, well welcome to the real world sweetie", "hate to pop your UC bubble", or I this good one I heard the other day "maybe people from Utah county should just never leave, they all need to go to BYU and eat their jello together" (direct quotation). Seriously. I am very proud to be from Provo. I think it's a great place. Yes I know there is a bubble and that BYU kids can be semi-crazy, but really? Just because I had release-time seminary, I can walk to church, and almost all of my friends growing up were members of the church, doesn't make me a bad person or doesn't make the place I am from a bad place. 

So there.

Represent

Did you hear? The Grammys were on Sunday. Did you hear? Coldplay performed and were up for 7. (Watch This Personally, not a fan of the whole Jay-Z thing, but it was still good.) Did you hear? I kinda like Coldplay. I won't get into the whole Allison Krauss thing (yawn) but I did represent my boys by sporting my Coldplay t-shirt and Chris Martin bracelets.

They won 3 thank you very much.

On to more important things...
So I am totally teaching a kindergarten class. It's so much fun. Today was their Valentine's lesson and I get to teach them how to brush their teeth. We are going to make puppets and do a little song because we have to incorporate dance, music, visual arts, or drama to our lessons. I am very excited...a little overwhelmed, but still excited. I am going home this weekend (yay!) I haven't seen my family in like forever! SO happy. Anyway, that's about all that is going on.

I will try not to make my blog suck next time.

Did you miss me?

I am back! Yay! So a little clarification on this media fast for my few friends. The institute had a missionary week this week. On Monday there was a missionary lunch, Wednesday was dress like a missionary day, and they hid a "golden investigator" around campus and if you found him you got a prize. We also had a media fast. Obviously I know and the institute knows that missionaries use media, but they don't use facebook, myspace, blogging, American Idol, and Rhianna (or do they?). We basically gave up the unnecessary things like that to help us focus on the more important things...and I totally made it and guess what I accomplished this week? EVERYTHING!!!! There was dance last night to break the fast, which was super fun and I got super sweaty cause smarty here wore her hair down.
It was a good experience, but it is good to be back. I feel so out of the loop in the blogging world, so excuse me while I go stalk.

Here's a shout-out to the whole 2 people who read my blog:

Not that I blog a whole lot anyway, I am joining my other Cedar City institute friends in a missionary week media fast. No blogging or facebook for a week. Wish me luck with my endeavors and I will blog about it next week.

p.s. Go Steelers!

I seriously never get tagged. Yay!

8 shows to love:
1. American Idol
2. The Office
3. So You Think You Can Dance
4. Anything on the Food Network
5. Planet Earth
6. Will and Grace
7. Gilmore Girls
8. The Soup

8 favorite restaurants:
1. PF Changs
2. California Pizza Kitchen
3. Sweet Tomatoes
4. Cafe Rio
5. Los Hermanos
6. Subway
7. Mimi's Cafe
8. Anywhere but Wendy's...I am so sick of Wendy's

8 things I did yesterday:
1. School
2. Tutoring
3. Work
4. Wrote a lesson plan about whales
5. Slept. Lazy? Possibly
6. Had a semi-awkward visit with a semi-awkward brother
7. Made sugar cookies
8. Homework (like how this is the last one on the list?)

8 things I like about this season:
1. New classes
2. Snow (am I contradicting myself?)
3. Hot chocolate
4. Sweaters
5. American Idol
6. Award shows
7. Australian open (Australians, Andy Roddick, eh?)
8. Winter sales and pre-summer sales

8 things on my wishlist:
1. Learn to speak Spanish
2. Be done with school
3. Snow+melting= :)
4. Warm temperatures! My face was numb this morning.
5. Get good grades
6. I want my hair to grow just a little bit longer
7. I wish I was either a) born in the south or b) an African American that can sing good (go on YouTube and look up "Let it Be" from Across the Universe. Seriously)
8. I wish I could go home this weekend. Oh well, 2 more weeks!

8 people whose 8's I want to see:
1. YOU
2. you!
3. YoU!
4. yOu!
5. YOU!!!
6. you
7. YYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!!
8. You!