Friesen Talk

Writing about all the big & little things

Category: Teaching (Page 2 of 4)

No more students.

October 10, 2014 / / 2 Comments

Well, I’m officially full.  We’ve decided that for the duration of this school year I can’t accept any new students.  I did have a few drop out at the beginning of this school year so I did fill those slots but now I need to stop adding any.  The hope is that next year I can pull back slightly–maybe having the 1/2 hour that Chloe gets home from school free so I can see her… as well as keeping in mind that in a couple of years I’m going to want to go to after school activities once in a while and at this point I can’t.  I will lose a handful of Seniors after this year, so that will also drop me down a little, but I have such a hard time saying no to new students… especially when I hear that “everyone is full.”  Luckily one of my adult piano students (who has her music teaching license) is starting to take on beginner students now, so I can refer them to her.

So, anyway, it will be a very full year of teaching this year for sure, and we’ll just have to wait and see how next year pans out.

In other news, I’m starting to think ahead to our Pumpkin Party and I am just brimming with cute fall ideas that I can’t wait to try.  Look at these delicious/cute/creative/festive creations & decorations!  Now we’ll see if I can actually make any of these things actually happen…

 

halloween-healthy-snack

Click on this link to see the webpage these adorable orange pumpkins came from…

10d8c878d08860c2d357ba7aa7e37782

sorry, I couldn’t find the link on this one…

Pumpkin-Bread-with-Maple-Glaze-9-of-15w

Here’s the link for the recipe for this Pumpkin Bread with Maple Glaze…. yummm….

Okay okay, just one more…

Caramel_Apple

Here’s the link for this “Blooming Apple”

You bake it and it turns into pure caramel filled apple deliciousness. At least that’s what that website implies.  😉

September is a busy month.

September 23, 2014 / / 5 Comments

Throughout the year there is an ebb and flow of  easy months and much busier months.  I’ve gotten used to March being very busy for me because of Piano contest.  And generally December is busy because of the holidays.  I need to remember how chaotic September is.

Everything starts up at the same time:  lesson go back into full swing, school starts, nanny’s start coming, BSF starts, growth groups start, back to 2 services at church, MMTA meetings start and then I have my fall contest music seminars every Tuesday morning.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I’m not complaining.  In fact almost everything on that list I’ve chosen to be a part of, but I really wish things were a little more spread out.  By the time the weekend comes it’s been such a whirlwind that I’m ready for a break!  The good news is–once we hit October, I’m home free!  I should be back into the groove of everything starting and then my seminars will be over as well as some of my meetings.  This year I’m going to go out on a limb and try to take Josiah with me to my MMTA meeting… I’m not sure how well it will work but since it’s just him now I thought it was worth a try.  He can sit and play REALLY well sometimes so I’m hoping I can set him up with a show and headphones in the back and it will work just as perfectly as I envision it in my head.  🙂  We’ll see.  My meeting is on Friday morning… I’ll let you know how it goes.

In other news we got a new camera lens a while back and I was playing with it the other day.  It’s a much bigger zoom, so I took this picture of  Tim and Chloe playing in the far corner of the yard while I was standing on the deck.  Pretty cool, huh?

CSC_0019

And then I took this picture of a flower that was down on the floor of the deck.  I was pretty pleased with how pretty it turned out!

DSC_0013

In other news, Chloe had her well child check this morning.  We came to the consensus that she is healthy and normal and tall.  But, really, that’s no new information to me!    Hehe!  😉

Almost got this routine thing down.

September 11, 2014 / / 1 Comment

We’re getting used to having a morning routine.  Tim is just leaving for work as we all get up and start getting ready.  It’s taken a few days, but I’m finally figuring out how much time we need to get everything done in time to walk leisurely to the bus stop.  The key word in that sentence is leisurely.  There have been days that have been a bit chaotic and, while we’ve made it to the bus in time, it was not the kind of tone I hope to set for her day.  (And, if you know me at all, you’ll  be ready for this next sentence…) So, we have our morning “to-do” list that we check off things as we accomplish them.  She is in charge of crossing the items off and when she is totally done with everything on the list she is welcome to play or listen to adventures in odyssey.  Granted, that has never happened yet, but I hope it will eventually.

As for me, I’m always amazed at how quickly I fall right back into my school routine.  It takes a couple days to remember that I don’t have any afternoon/evening time anymore, but then I find that I’m able to be just as productive on my mornings as I have been on my whole summer days.  Hah!  Go figure.  But I guess summer is meant to be relaxed, right?   And while I “mourn” the change of the season and loosing my freedom, I forget how much joy I get in seeing all my students again.

And it’s at that moment when I’m listening to their summer time stories and teaching them the correct counting of a dotted quarter note + eighth note that I remember how much I love what I do.  🙂

Back to teaching!

September 8, 2014 / / 1 Comment

Today I started back into my full teaching schedule.  It went really well.  (I even had time to prep a lasagna for supper… which I then forgot to put in the oven… so we had hot dogs for supper.  whoops!  But we’ll be having lasagna tomorrow night!)  It’s always so much fun to see all the students again. I even have a new/old student that I had a few years ago come back this year–and now he’s a SENIOR!  Wow, how the years fly by!

I’ll post all about Chloe’s Birthday party tomorrow.  It was delightful.  Happy Monday everyone!

Lesson Sign-Up Day 2014

August 11, 2014 / / 1 Comment

Another lesson sign-up day done.  🙂  It was crazy and wild and frustrating and  feels great to be done.  This was the first year that I’ve had to use some people’s 3rd & 4th choices of time slots… And I have one who still hasn’t signed up that I’m pretty sure can’t do the times that are left (since they are early and her school is out late).  So, once I get that figured out I’ll feel a lot better.  But for now, I’m happy to have it mostly done.  I had a hard time falling asleep last night because I was so anxious about it.  I want to please everyone, but I know that’s impossible.

The kids spent the night at the Baker’s house (in order to give me peace and quiet as I tackled the sign-up this morning) and were VERY unhappy to leave when I picked them up at lunch time.  There was much crying and pouting as we left.  🙂

Friday night random thoughts

May 16, 2014 / / 2 Comments

My Friday night random thoughts.

►► We had the fence guys come and give us an estimate.  It took longer than we expected and it’s a good chunk of change.  We’ll see if that is on the summer list of projects to be competed….

►►  Chloe played outside almost the entire day today.  She was VERY tired by bedtime.  And it looks like a little bit sunburned… oops!

►► I’m going running with a church friend tomorrow morning.  It’s going to be slow and painful, but fun.

►► I’ve decided to bring my ice cream maker back to life for the summer.  If you know any good ice cream recipes, you should send them to me!

►► I can’t remember if I wrote about my new piano tuner–he’s really great.  I like him a lot.  He was very informative and cost the same as my old tuner.

►►  My summer schedule is coming together pretty nicely.  As of now, I’m only teaching on Monday (afternoon-evening) and Tuesday (all day).  I’m excited for the chance of pace.

►► I’m also very excited to do a lot of fun summer things with the kids!

►► Speaking of fun summer things–I’ve signed Josiah and Chloe up for free bowling over the summer.  Doesn’t that sound like fun!?!

 

Enjoying my last “free” weekend

February 8, 2014 / / 2 Comments

Starting next weekend I have something major going on for the next 5 weekends in a row–capping off the final weekend with my piano contest.  Which means, this weekend is really the last “relaxing” weekend for a while.

So, Tim and I went on a wonderful date today.  We went to Bonfire grill (I had a gift card, yippie!) and ordered a Chicken Club sandwich (Yum!).  They put us at a high top table right next to a fireplace which was nice and cozy.  Then we scoped out a natural foods store that I found just down the road (which is actually really awesome, especially if I need something specific or organic) then we went to Lowe’s (that’s right folks, all awesome dates once you’re married end up at Lowe’s or Menards!) and then we capped it off with a much needed car wash.  See, doesn’t that sound like fun?  I thought it was spectacular!

This week was very taxing on me emotionally.  I had a rough encounter with a parent of one of my students that really upset me for a bit.  I don’t want to go into any details on here (just in case…) but let’s just say it upset me.  It’s all over now.  I’m actually still waiting to hear back from the student, but I’ve communicated as kindly and clearly as I can and now have my peace in the situation.  Tim said it well, when he reminded me that in all the years of teaching and  ALL of the students I’ve had contact with I really only had a small handful of problems.  And for that I am EXTREMELY grateful.

On a lighter note… wanna hear about my sad lamp story?  Here is my lamp (yes, they were in a cheap 3 pack set from WalMart, so I really shouldn’t be surprised)…

Exhibit A: Cheap Lamp.

Exhibit A: Cheap Lamp.

I  noticed the other day that my lamp was starting to smell funny and, wait for it… smoke.  Yes, smoke.  And I thought to myself… that’s not good. So I looked more closely and the whole top of the plastic lamp shade had disintegrated and was falling directly onto the light bulb.

Exhibit B: Notice the hole at the top...which had been hiding under the metal cover.

Exhibit B: Notice the hole at the top…which had been hiding under the metal cover.

Even now there is plastic melted ONTO the light bulb… which I tried to take a picture of but it really doesn’t show up well on camera.  I guess you’ll just have to use your imagination.  So, I quickly moved the metal plate to the inside of the lamp shade which protected it more, but the damage was already done (and no, I didn’t originally install it backwards, because I know that’s what you’re thinking…) So today on our date to Lowe’s we used part of a gift card we had to purchase new lampshades with METAL brackets inside.  You know, the way lamp shade should be made…  See how pretty!

DSC_0010

Exhibit C: Pretty new lamp shade!

Back to the daily grind.

January 6, 2014 / / 1 Comment

I’m back to work today.  I just love Christmas vacation, but it’s always over so much faster than I want it to be.  I really shouldn’t complain, because I know most people don’t have the luxury of getting 2 weeks off… of course, when I take off work I don’t make any money at all.  There are no “paid vacation” days in my field.   🙂  So, I’ve enjoyed my days of freedom and I’m ready to jump back in.

In other news, it’s beastly cold.  Very very very cold.  Right now the high is predicted to be -15 here with a wind chill that could come close to -50.  Anything beyond -5 to me is crazy cold.  All of the public schools have been closed for today, but there are a few private schools still thinking they’ll push through.  I don’t know if that’s wise… if ALL of the public schools have been closed, then why not just follow suit, private schools?  Maybe it’s just me.  I just saw that a lot of the schools are going to continue to be closed tomorrow too.

Bring on the hot cocoa and warm blankets!  😉

How about a picture to warm your hearts?

josiah and chloe good

Almost ready… !

December 20, 2013 / / 1 Comment

I’m starting to get everything done in preparation for tomorrow’s recitals!  The cake is on the counter (smelling delicious) and the punch supplies are piled by the door and the Christmas bags are all stacked in boxes…   Yippie!

By this time tomorrow I’ll be relaxing.  Well actually we’ll probably still be cleaning up and then heading out to eat, but the hard part will definitely be over.  I’m excited!

Then the Christmas fun can begin!

Candy Time Again!

December 13, 2013 / / 3 Comments

This year has been especially exciting as I make the candy bags for my students because…. drum roll please… Chloe can finally help me!!!  And I tell you, if you were to be here, you would think she won the lottery or something because she was SO EXCITED to be able to help.  She kept saying, “this is so much fun!”  I love that girl!

I haven’t had time to write over the past couple of days because all of my spare time has gone to making the candy, but I’m just about done.

DSC_0001

Can you see the excitement in her smile?

DSC_0002

She’s carefully putting sucker sticks in the molds

DSC_0008

Starting to fill the bags!

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2025 Friesen Talk

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑