Monkey Bread: Kaitlyn Bakes

Kaitlyn begins her monkey bread, carefully dividing the biscut dough into bite size pieces to be rolled in cinnamon sugar. Jeff looks on anxiously, could Kaitlyn be his undoing?


Friendly on-lookers cheer for the bakers.


Kaitlyn prepares the dough...


Jeff fitfully awaits the outcome...



Who will win? Which monkey bread baker will be declared king of the monkey...bread? Stay tuned for the next installment of "Monkey Bread Bake-off!"

Monkey Break Bake-Off In Pictures

Jeff prepares his dough, the secret ingredient, as Kaitlyn looks on and mocks (mocking is allowed during a monkey bread bake-off!).


Just before rolling the dough cinnamon-roll style, Uncle Jeff liberally sprinkles cinnamon on the dough. Kaity still mocks!


The monkey bread takes shape...


...and into the oven!!


Uncle Jeff threatens, "I'm going to kick your bunt!"

What will Kaity do? How will her apple monkey break stack up to Uncle Jeff's? Does Uncle Jeff's high school experience making cinnamon rolls at Cinnamon Sam's give his monkey break an unfair advantage? Tune in for the next installment of Monkey Break Bake-off!

My First Day of First Grade

I just woke up from nap time...

Today was my first day of first grade! I met the class I will be with this spring for student teaching and spent the day helping in the classroom. Sue Grim is a twelve year veteran who is an amazing teacher! She oozes patience and on several occasions actively reflected on occurrences and how she could could effect a different outcome (education theory in action!). She's calm, she's happy, and she's focused, all qualities I will do well to emulate.

The students? WOW! What a good week to see them in action. Holiday break is only three days away, it was raining so the students were on rainy day schedule, and the place was a zoo! The little kiddies couldn't focus, besides there was a new adult in the classroom trying to learn their names and their classroom procedure. Tomorrow will probably be a better day.

By the end of the day I was tired and hungry. I came home, folded some laundry and took a nap. It's 11:50 p.m. and I just woke up an hour ago. I think I'm going to have to get more sleep!

I love first grade!

Pictures as promised

The "Worship Team," Guitar Students, Intermediate and Advanced Choirs

This church was pretty cool. It was a large metal contruction building with stucco on the outside and completely finished on the inside. The had two other buildings, a fellowship hall and a student center (probably classrooms). This congregation was forsightful enough to buy a really big piece of land so they could grow.


Kaity and Mr. Trenbeath the director (Kaity is wearing flats.)


The Advanced Choir

FINALS ARE OVER!

Except for a few small projects that have to be uploaded to the internet, FINALS ARE OVER!!! I feels like 50 pounds has been lifted from my shoulders, I'm a foot taller, and I don't know what to do with all my extra times...until I look around at the condition of my house, then I get a pretty good idea what needs to be done! Thanks to everyone for their prayers, kind words, and support. In reality, it feels like the time FLEW. Of course, it's not over. There is still sixteen weeks of student teaching, but that's going to be a GREAT experience.

I'll upload a few pictures from Kaitlyn's school concert Tuesday night when we get home from Prescott. When I figure how to embed the video, I'll but up the vidoeo of her solo...I'd put up the video of her signing to "Peace, Peace," but you can hear me singing and that is NEVER pretty!

Hugs to you all!

STUDENT TEACHING!

I've been anxious to hear about my student teaching assignment, musing out loud when it would come, and annoying my cohort friends. Friday was a BUSY day and looked to be on the stressful side when I got a phone call from Chase. "Cheryl at Paradise Valley Unified School District HR department called. You're supposed to call her." I called immediately. I HAVE A STUDENT TEACHING PLACEMENT!!! Here are the blessings:

1. The school is two blocks down the street from my house!
2. The teacher is an 11 year veteran that I have worked with before!
3. The principal, the husband of a favorite professor, is retiring this year. If there is an open position, he'll do my interviewing!
4. The principal meets with all the student teachers once every two weeks for a lunch meeting, to debrief and educate them!

I will be in a first grade class, which is not my first choice. However, the teacher is AMAZING and I know I will learn a boat-load from her. I am a little scared of first grade because it is such an important year--what if I screw up and a kid doesn't learn to read and then is a ditch digger for the rest of his life? He'll look back on his education and say, "Drat that Mrs. Yates! She ruined my life!" However, first grade is optimal read-aloud time--fun voices, dramatic reenactment, literacy projects!!!!! I'm pretty good with 1st grade math. HUGE ADVANTAGE: 1st grade science might be the only science I really know and/or understand!

I am so excited that my family has had to scrape me off the ceiling six times. When I hung up with Cheryl, I cried my eyes out. Relief SWEPT through me and the impact of the blessing hit me like a ton of bricks. I cannot wait for the new chapter of my adventure to begin!