Never Just One Thing.....

Well, my aunt passed away last Saturday. It was a long illness and I've hoped she's found peace. And to quote Forrest Gump: that's all I have to say about that.

The last two weeks has brought cold, cold, COLD temps to Akiak. Wind chills between -35 to -45 degrees.....the other day, I took Dakota out for a walk and it was -18. Dakota had a blast jumping and digging in the snow. I find as long as I am bundled up, I'm fine.

But I have to admit......one day, I woke up and it was cold. It was when the temps first dropped and I had no clue just how cold it was. I looked online and read -8 but feels like -28.....and I seriously contemplated calling in sick just to avoid the walk to school. I sucked it up and two days later, I got a stomach bug and had to stay home. That's what I get for making jokes like that.

This was my second Thanksgiving away from home. My aunt had just passed and I was sorry to not be there for my family. I ended up going to a work event, then I hung out at a friend's house playing cards. She let me bring Dakota and there were two other dogs there. Dakota wore himself out playing non-stop but he had fun. And so did I.

The next day, I went to the Millers for dinner. Then the group I had played cards with the night before came by (2 couples) and we all played UNO.....but we played pretty cut-throat and one round took forever.

I am very grateful that I can bring my puppy with me. He's getting so big. The housebreaking is coming along. This morning he woke me up to take him outside! Or he just wanted my attention....either way, it works.

Dakota has gotten so big! He's over 50 pounds but I'm not sure by how much. I got our plane tickets booked and we have a very long layover in Seattle but we will both be arriving in California on Christmas Eve. I hope everyone's ready for Dakota!! I am looking forward to introducing my family to Dakota, especially my niece India. He's a great puppy, and I really want to show him off. It's still hard to remember that he's just a baby and not not a dog yet, despite his size.

This next weekend, I have to go to Anchorage for a work retreat. Dakota will be staying with the Millers while I'm gone. It's my first time leaving him behind. I know he'll be fine, but I don't like the idea of leaving him. I am looking forward to shopping though, and going out to dinner. And maybe a movie.....yeah, that part's awesome!

I had wanted to scan a picture of my aunt and I when I was a baby, but I wasn't able to......so here's a pic of my Aunt Kim......

Kim E

As the Wind Raged....

This week, Alaska faced the worst storm in years. It hit on the coast and I heard they have to evacuate Nome. I'm sure people are curious about what happened in Akiak. Well, Akiak is pretty far inland.

So we just experienced some major wind. And since I'm from Benicia, where it's really windy, it wasn't anything exciting truthfully. The wind blew most of the snow away and it started to melt. True, we had some rain, but it really wasn't anything big.

We DID have a big snowstorm later in the week though. That brought a lot of snow & wind. Dakota loves being out in the snow, and I love snuggling under a warm blanket with my pets with the wind howling outside. Some of the bets naps I ever had were during a snow storm.

People thought it was weird that I had never been around snow when I agreed to move to Alaska. But I really do love living with snow. I enjoy it so much. I really love having a snow dog now too.

I think Dakota is over 50 pounds now. I can barely lift him. I let him go off his leash to play with some teacher dogs and he did really well. So far he knows: come, sit, high five (really shake), drop it, and speak. I've just started "lie down" and I'd love to teach "sing" (where he howls).

But this week, we start house breaking. To be honest, I'm a little unsure as to how to do this. He knows how to go outside but he still goes on his pads. And after the airport fiasco, I'm not trusting him to not go in people's houses.

School is going really well. I really love my students. They make me laugh and bring so much joy to my life. One day, we were reading from our leveled readers and there was a picture of a clown fish. One of my 3rd grade boys looks up at me and says, "Clown fish? They tell jokes?" And he was dead serious.....and it took all I had not to laugh!

There's a dark light ahead.....some of the issues I face out here teaching are being faced all over the United States. State testing is hitting teachers hard. I'll soon be judged on my student's test scores as to whether or not I'm a good teacher. And my students are so stinkin' smart, but most of them struggle with tests. Imagine taking a test that mention school buses, when most of the country has had to cut buses out of their budget.....then imagine teaching in a place with a dirt road and most of the rides are four-wheelers or snow mobiles. So of course, a test that mentions something you've never seen is quite appropriate, no?

I love teaching, I really do, but if I can't show the results the state wants, then I'm out of a job. Sure, I may bounce around from job to job until I can't find one or I start teaching in a place no one else will teach, but my future as an educator may be in jeopardy.

What other option will I have but to marry rich? ;)

So, I am seeing the writing on the wall. I need to tighten my skills and become the best teacher I can be.  I've been working on my classroom management skills for the last 6 years, and now my focus will be on various teaching methods.

My goal is to teach a fish to climb a tree. Cause essentially, that's what the tests are like.....how high a fish can climb a tree.....that's why you read about teachers in other states just throwing the fish up in the tree....i.e. changing test scores....what state was that? Alamba?

Anywhoo, I've been kinda withdrawn this past week. My aunt is in a coma right now and I've been mostly talking to my mom a lot. I've kinda taken a break from the internet. My new season of CSI came in and so I've been catching up with my one of my favorite shows. I don't know if I've ever mentioned it, but I don't have cable. It's by choice. My cable company pissed me off by offering a deal to my brother's house and my mother's house, but not to me.....they wanted me to pay $200 a month. That was four years ago. I don't miss TV. Last year, my roommate got cable and it was on constantly. Sure, I liked watching the oscars, but it wasn't worth it to me to get it again. So I just rent seasons and catch up.

But now to end on a lighter note: here's Dakota being a draft blocker at the Miller's. (Thanks Michelle for the pic! ~ Check out her blog on my page!!)

My snow dog finding the coldest spot in the house.

And the Snow Has Started....

I haven't posted in a couple of weeks. I guess it's been hard to put some things down....or sort my thoughts out. While nothing's wrong, I find this year has been a harder adjustment than last year. I love my class and so many things are going so well, but it's still been a difficult transition.

I was watching Pride and Prejudice (the BBC version of course!!!) and it hit me. I was dating Mr. Wickham! My friend, Michelle, refers to him as the Barking Pig (as to not offend dogs or pigs) but I realized......He's my Mr. Wickham.....I tell you, that man would lie to your face and steal off with your sister for sure!! I'm actually okay with that, cause that just means my Mr. Darcy is not far behind.....

It's started to snow and we have quite a bit of snow on the ground. I was delighted to take Dakota out in the snow for the first time. He loved it! He runs around, digs, and plants his face in it. I have never seen an animal take to anything so fast in my life. I truly have a snow dog!

I forgot to mention Halloween. It was -4 degrees out that day. The trick-or-treaters were half frozen by the time they got to my house. And honestly, most of them had given up and gone home. But the hard core trick-or-treaters would not be denied! Annie, the oldest woman in the village (no one knows how old she is) was right out there with them, she's such a trooper!

I do have some sad news on the personal front.....my aunt is dying. She has lung cancer and it's spread. She has a tumor in her esophagus and it is cutting off her airway and she can no longer eat.

I idolized my Aunt Kim when I was a little girl. I thought she was so glamourous and fun. I hope she doesn't suffer and finds peace soon. She was a huge part of my family and it's hard being so far away from my family at times like this. Who knew the last time I would ever see her was this summer?

There's the lesson: kiss your loved ones and tell them how much they mean to you whenever the mood strikes you......

And since I hate to end the blog post on a sad note: here's pics of my loves.....

my brothers....adam & ethan

the kids table (my bros, sis-in-law, & cousin)

my cats, Daisy & Lola

Me the first time I ever babysat my niece, India

Me in Marilyn Monroe's handprint

Baby Kisses (with India)

Dakota (at 3 1/2 months)

Dakota in the snow

Dakota and I in the snow

My mother and I in Hawaii

Akiak, Alaska

Life in Alaska