Minot...Brrrrrr..snowshovels.....treadmills...and DEER!

Well we arrived in Minot ND on Monday at 10:30pm.  I did not get a chance to go to the gym to run yesterday- boo hoo. I did however shovel the 6 inches of snow off my husbands driveway.  Sure did build up a good sweat doing that task.
This evening Erin and I worked out at the fitness center in the Sakakawea Inn (where Erin is staying while we are here in Minot).  I got 4 miles in on the treadmill which has got to be the most thing ever.  I hate the treadmill more than I hate running hills! 
But, the most amazing thing happened on the way back from the gym...two of the most beautiful young deer strolled out in front of my car.  I was driving slow due to the snow covered roads, so I was able to just watch them in all of their majesty. I then hightailed it home, put on my parka and ran back out after them.  I followed them in the snow and -2 degrees for about a mile and a half.  It really was amazing.  So, all in all I think I got in some good cardio while at the same time enjoying the wonderful outdoors.

training with Erin for her first 1/2 marathon

I started training with Erin for her first 1/2 marathon.  She is completing the training for her senior project at school. I think this will be a great opportunity to get to spend time with Erin before she leaves for college next summer.  So, at the same time that i am training for my first Ironman, I will be training with Erin for her half marathon.

We had a good "long" run today.  It was only 5 miles...but for Erin that was the longest she has ever gone.  She will be hitting a lot of firsts during this training (as did I when I trained for my first marathon). 

It is only 78 days until the half in Little Rock! But, I know she will be ready.

I have officially registered...

for Ironman 70.3 New Orleans. The money has been spent, now it is up to me to start training. This Ironman will be special for two reason 1) it will be my first and 2) the race is on my birthday! Stayed tuned for some training posts!

It is time to do it...

Well, this weekend is my Marathon in Dayton, Ohio. I will be running the Air Force Marathon at Wright Patterson, AFB. I have trained but I still am freaked out. If you have ever run one you know that they play a mental game. So, if anyone is reading this say a prayer for me and wish me luck!

Why Do You Run?

Joggers, Bugs, and Bikes...

I went for a bike ride last evening...it was about 7ish...the sun was beginning to set and the temperature was beginning to go down a bit. So I head put to the Teague. The 3 miles to the Teague were just fine, but once I got the the jogging/biking path the nice even quickly spiraled into frustration. First on my list of frustrating things..when you are wogging (walk/jogging) on a shared path PLEASE don not play your music so loud that you can't hear the crazy lady on the bike screaming from behind to watch out because I am passing! For goodness sakes especially is you tend to swerve a lot!!!! And then when I come up on you don't scream at me because I scared you! By golly I was screaming at you for the past 150 yards!
Next on my list would be the bugs!! Oh my gosh! I don't think I have encountered more swarms of bugs ever! It was crazy. Lesson learned on that one. I will always wear sunglasses and possible a mask when I bike at dusk. Other than that it was a good 15 mile bike ride.

Where Were You When The World Stopped Turning?

Why Let our Students Blog?

Why Let our Students Blog?

September 11..nine years later

Today in class I talked to my 4th graders about the events of September 11. Most of them were babies, some were not even born when that horrible day happened. I realized by the end of discussing it with three separate groups of 4th graders that no one else is teaching them about it. And I don't mean in school...I mean at home or even on TV. I had to answer A LOT of questions about the events that led up to, during and after the 4 planes crashed that day. Basic stuff that I just take for granted that they know...but they don't. It is kind of like my daughter always looking at the back of a camera for the picture that someone just took. She has no concept of film and having to wait to get pictures developed. Really! These are just things that are a part of their everyday life...like the fact that we have had troops over in Afghanistan... they can't remember a time when we didn't. My Reads and Rants
With that all being said I think I did a good job discussing what happened on that early Fall day nine years ago and how it brought a nation of strangers together in a wonderful and heartbreaking way. I hope if they ever get to go to the Pentagon Memorial, The World Trade Center Memorial, or the Pennsylvania Memorial that they think back to the class today and think to themselves that I did an ok job explaining what happened on September 11, 2001.

Ha ha ha

So I am doing my internship this semester and I have to create a portfolio that contains everything a School Principal could possibly be looking when they go to hire me. I am having a very hard time making it creative..you know teachers are supposed to be creative....I am not...in an elementary school sort of way...creative...but I did find this great cartoon...I was thinking of putting it in my personal statement portion of my Teaching portfolio..

I have been reading Olive Kitteridge for my smart lady book club(that is my name for the group...they are all very smart ladies). It is a weird read. Olive is a strange lady and moves through life in a very odd way. I have also started Mockingjay. I may actual go and see this book in the theaters. I have been really trying to take more time to read...just for me. I had stopped reading for pleasure last school year and really got back into reading over the summer. I sure missed it. Like and old friend. I am the happiest when I am reading regularly and running regularly.

Mockingjay Book Trailer - The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

"The Human Voice" from StoryCorps

Dewey Readmore Books

Friday!

Well, thank goodness that there are only 7 days in a week because I am not sure that the Adderley family would have made it to the end of the week if there were more days! What a week it has been. Erin crashed her car, she is okay but her beloved Red Mustang is not. I only ran once this week due to health issues...really sucks to being able to run! So freaked out about the Air Force Marathon. Really need to get some miles under my shoes!
I hope that the weekend brings some peace to our house!
Now for some great reads....I am still flying through the Charle Bone series, yes I know that they are kids books but I love them. The same for the Hunger Games series, I can't wait to head to Barnes and Noble this weekend to pick up Mockingjay! If you have not read these books you need to.
Now for a rant....why oh why do some people not listen to directions and then ask how to do something two seconds after you just explained it to them!!! This drives me crazy! Especially when you ask if they understand the directions and they say yes!!!! Then proceed to ask what they are supposed to do! Why do I even bother with the first step of explaining the directions! Why don't I just wait til they ask what are they supposed to do...hmmmm, maybe I will try that next week. We shall see how that goes.

School is back in session!!!

I have been reading like crazy this summer! Most of the books that I read were from my school library. I decided it was time to read what all the Middle school students were reading so I could better understand the types of books that they were interested in. So here is the list of what I read while lounging by the pool:
1. Hunger Games - I give this one 5 out of 5 stars
2. Catching Fire - 5 stars
3. The Mysterious Benedict Society (Books 1 and 2)- 5 stars
4. Forest of Hands and Teeth - 3 stars
5. Notes from the Dogs - 5 stars

Now here are some of my Rants from the long summer break....It was not long enough! No sooner had I gotten into a good summer routine.. you know..stay up late...get up..take a nap...sit by the pool...nap...go for a run, ride or swim...go to bed... It was time to go back to work! Hmmm...someone needs to work on that. But seriously while I enjoyed my summer off I am excited about a new school year. The library is all ready for the kiddos and 4th grade is going to be a blast. So...let the wild rumpus begin!

Today is Pioneer Days in the 3rd grade. We just finished our Little House in the Big Woods unit. Today the students made corn husk dolls, pillow case babies, wagons, and cup-n-ball tossers. The students enjoyed more homemade butter, beef jerky, johnny cakes, cracklins, and dried fruit. The children really had a great time.

We made butter today at school and it worked! The kids loved making it almost as much as they enjoyed eating it on crackers. Yummy!

Is it Friday Yet?

The first part of this week flew by and then it crashed into a window! Didn't you know you were supposed to put those bird stickers on windows so birds don't fly into them!!!
Today in 3rd grade we are going to make butter. I found the directions at pbskids.org/zoom. Zoom was one of my favorite shows when I was younger! I hope ZOOM doesn't let me down! I am keeping my fingers crossed that it works. Tomorrow is Pioneer Days for the 3rd grade also. I will post pictures of the merriment.

For the past several weeks I have been working with the 4th and 5th grade classes at my school to create book talks.  A book talk is similar to a movie preview.  The students created power point presentations and then created films using Movie Maker software.  I hope you enjoy them as much I the students and I enjoyed creating them.

April 14

My rant for today.....hmmmm....if you see that it needs to be picked up and put away, pick it up and put it away!
My read for the day.. so I am totally getting into Eat, Pray, Love.  Took me about 30 chapters to really get into it and now I can't put it down...in fact..I am reading it on my Nook right now as I type this entry.  Thank goodness for Terra Nova testing next week, because I can read it while the kiddos are taking their tests!  Happy happy joy joy.  I have decided that I want a mantra and that I also want to rise to kindalini shakti, at least once in my life.  Get your minds out of the gutter, this is not a naughty term.  It refers to a direct, transcendent experience with God. 

Still figuring out this whole blog thing

Here is what I am reading on my Nook (and yes I love, love, love my Nook)

• I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
• U by Sue Grafton
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Just finished, City of Thieves by David Benioff (highly recommend it)

So here is my rant for the day.... why is it that I am always early when I think I am running so late. I write this as I am sitting in class waiting for my 5:00 class to start. I had time to stop and get something to eat and make it to class and I am still 40 minutes early! What! How! Some days I leave the library early and still don't get here on time. Crazy!

Welcome!

I have decided to try this whole BLOG thing. I will fill this blog with my favorite reads and my rants. I am not really sure what to do with this blog, so bare with me.

Kristin
Your friendly school librarian