catch up for 2016...

In my defense... things got pretty busy by the end of July.  I had come to the realization that I could not continue supplementing our income by babysitting and applied to be an aid at the kids' school.  It was slightly heartbreaking to lose my borrowed babies, even if most of them are no longer actual babies.  With one moving away and one starting school, the one full-time and one part-time babysit-ees just wouldn't bring in enough money, even with my teaching 10 piano students.  And so I became a teacher's aid.  It lets me be on the same schedule as my kids, walk to work, and still be nurturing children.  I do 3rd grade math extensions, help teach the all 3rd graders piano, help teach the all 4th graders violin, help teach violin to all the 1st and 2nd graders, help teach strings to all the 5th graders, do math interventions with the 5th graders, accompany the school choir, AND teach an after school art class once a week.  WHEW!  Yes, I basically know 80% of the students by name at this point.  I really enjoy working with the kids, getting to know them and figuring out how their individual brains work so I can help them learn.  Honestly, probably the best time of the day is that first 30 minutes when I'm with my high 3rd graders.  We have so much fun stretching our brains.  Technically I was hired to be a glorified babysitter, watching over the kids while they did stuff in the computer lab.  But that didn't last long.  One of the teachers knows me pretty well and said that was just a waste of a good teacher, so the team decided to send me the high kids for extensions, while they focused on those needing extra help.  I get to do the truly fun part of teaching - challenging kids who enjoy learning!

And on top of "going back to work"... there was plenty more going on last year:
In July:
I ran the Freedom 5K

took the kids to Thanksgiving Point again,

saw our Garrison friends at my dad's symphony concert

went camping with the extended family at Timpooneke,

and ran the Temple to Temple 5K with W and Nini.

In August:
Monkey performed with the Utah Vocal Arts Academy in Die Fledermaus,

I ran the Wellness 5K,

we went to my Grandma's family reunion with her siblings,

(and Monkey met her doppelganger in a second-cousin-once-removed),

I took the kids to Thanksgiving Point again,

we took the kids to Mill Hollow, where mom and dad met, (this truly deserves its own post)

school/work started for me and the kids,

and we went to the Utah Renaissance Faire.

In September:
On top of school and work, I started hand bell rehearsals and a belly dance class (which also deserves its own post).

In October:
I did my belly dance recital and performed on stage,

I ran the Haunted Half 5K

I had a performance party with my piano students,

We survived Halloween,

I helped my friend decorate her house for our daughters' dream dates,

Monkey and her date went as Indiana Jones and Marion,

In November:
I took Monkey, Andrea, Amy and Meagan to meet Marissa Meyer (author of the Lunar Chronicles),

I took the kids to meet Cressida Cowell (author of the How to Train your Dragon books).

Nini performed as Vlad Vladikoff in the 2nd grade play of Horton Hears a Who,

and we hosted my mom for Thanksgiving dinner at our house (sorry, no pics).

In December:
I survived my crazy busy hand bell performance schedule,

I had a performance party with my piano students.

W and Nini performed with the school choir (and I accompanied) in a school assembly and an evening concert,  Bucket and Monkey also had a Christmas concert (I wasn't the accompanist), but I didn't get any pics.

I took the kids (and friends) to Thanksgiving Point.

I took the kids to a big concert to watch their principal (and his kids) perform (no pics),

I took the kids (with Delli and Levi) to Thanksgiving Point,

we got to see lots of extended family at the annual Smorgasbord (no pics),

we performed at the assisted living home across the street for Christmas Eve, attended a Candle Light service, and came home for "night presents" (i.e. new jammies) and Christmas Eve on Sesame Street,

We had a great 1st Christmas at home, at church and at grandma's for dinner,

we a great 2nd Christmas with my siblings and my dad the next day,

we had a great 3rd Christmas with my mom and grandma (who had both been sick) the next week,

we had a fantastic dinner with my borrowed baby Ronin (and his family) and a double date to see Rogue One (sorry, no pics),

and we spent a fun New Year's Eve playing games with some great friends (no pics, sorry... but sometimes it's better to just LIVE life, rather than worry over much about documenting it).


Whew.
And double Whew.

I'm glad that year is over... it was busy and stressful and fun and disappointing and wonderful and awful and beautiful and over way too fast, but in that I still feel the affects of the car crash, I can really say I'm glad to have it done and over with.  Hopefully 2017 can be a year of growth and progression, without needing any big tragedies to bring it about.