kyle & britt's wedding.

One week ago today, two of my dearest friends got married... to each other!
What an awesome, fun-filled weekend! Kyle is my one and only friend from growing up that I have never had issues with. He is the most caring, generous, compassionate and good looking male friend a girl could ask for. We met in elementary school, became friends in middle school, best friends in high school and stayed close all through college (he went to USD too).
When I went to visit Ali overseas in the summer of '09 I was gone for a month. The night I arrived back in Vermillion I went over to Kyle's house where the weekly Sunday Funday yard games, BBQ and beer drinking festivities were taking place. I was surprised to see two girls that I didn't recognize. Ryan and Kyle greeted me with hugs and excitement, all the while I was distracted by these two girls who looked a little frightened by me. I was introduced to them and didn't think much of it. Later that night, we all went downtown together and I had a better chance to talk to these girls. As it turned out Britt had started working at Leo's, a local sportsbar that a lot of our friends worked at, and Kayla was her best friend. They had started hanging with the boys the weekend after I had left for Europe. As we talked more, and I got to know them I realized that I liked these girls. As the days and summer nights went on I came to find out that Kyle and Britt had been hanging out. Vermillion terms for dating, but not really dating, but you're actually dating... I was 100% sure yet about this girl, but trusted Kyle's judgement. One night, soon after discovering that the two were hanging out, Kayla (Britt's best friend), told me that the reason they were initially apprehensive when I arrived home was because Ryan and Kyle had told them to be careful around me. That if I didn't like them, they would know it. Also, that if I didn't like them any and all friendships/relationships would most likely cease to exist. Lucky for Britt, but more so lucky for me I totally took to the fashionable small-town girl and her crazy best friend.
Kyle proposed last August, after they had been together for just over a year. They are the perfect case of "when you know, you know". I am so excited for and proud of my best friend and his lovely bride.
Kyle called me in February to ask if I would be a part of their wedding by reading a bible verse. I was bowling with my roommate Jamie and had just had my first beer in almost a month. I was buzzed and entirely too honored and started crying on the phone! It is so difficult to have so many great friends of the opposite sex-- when it comes to wedding time, traditionally you are not really welcome. Well, anyway, I was so honored beyond belief I clearly accepted the request. I read the passage Colossians 3:12-17. What a wonderfully perfect scripture reading! After the wedding we went back to the hotel, which had the reception hall attached. We had a beautiful dinner, amazing company and one of the most fun nights on the dance floor in the history of mankind.

  Kyle & Britt.

  My boys (Ryan and Kyle) & I.

 College girlfriends!

inservice.

Today has been an all day inservice at my school. We had staff gatherings this morning and afternoon, followed by grade-band meetings, then classroom work-time. I have not been able to focus at all. Here is a photo of me. Sitting on my "big rug". Seeing life from the angle my kids see it from.

catch up--with an attempt to capitalize

So many funny things happen on a daily basis here at R.E.S. I truly believe that any and all elementary educators should write books of quotes and events in their career(s). For instance, I was talking with a guardian of one of my students who told me that she (my student) asked her this summer if she could change her name legally to Justina Bieber. First of all, what first grader knows about being able to legally change your name. Secondly, doesn't that little girl know that Selena Gomez would kick her butt?!
I had two boys approach me during a transition between two reading stations to tell me, "when you get fired, Miss. Smidt, we'll come be students at your new school. You're the best." Heart warming? Yes. Disturbing? More so. I overhead the kindergarten teacher that shares the modular classroom with me tell a group of her kids to "Clean up your elevens." After hearing that over, and over I asked her what elevens were. She informed me that it referred to students who had boogers hanging from their noses down to their lip. The boogers formed two narrow lines that resemble the number eleven. So flippin' gross, yet hilarious. Sometimes I struggle to believe that this is my real life, and am forced to call my parents for a reality check. Thanks D&D for always answering.
Lets talk about picking favorites. Any and all teachers I have had in my life are liars. It is simply impossible to not have favorites. I mean really. Those kids that sit and watch you for directions, because they know that's what you want them to do-- those ones kind of creep me out. I love the ones that are so naughty I have no idea as to what I should do with them. For instance, last Friday during their music class (which is held in my classroom by a traveling music teacher) one of my boys punched another boy in the nose. When I took them aside to discipline/discuss I simply asked, "What happened?!?!" "Well Miss. Smidt, I punched him in the nose. On purpose." Like, how do you react to that without a smile?! The kid who got punched most likely deserved it. But you've gotta lay down the law anyways. What a battle.
Last week I ended up going with the green hair. It was such a hit with the kids. They couldn't believe I had done it. Thursday afternoon, I raced home at 4pm and washed my hair three times to make sure the color was fully removed. The parade was an interesting experience. Our school reserved four buses to ship us to Mission for the annual TCHS homecoming parade. We packed our class, a second and a third grade class onto one bus. The behavior going to, from and during the parade astounded me. I rewarded my kids with giant dill pickles when we returned to the classroom that afternoon. Wow, if you ever need an idea for keeping 17 six and seven year olds quiet at the end of a candy and event filled day give 'em a giant dill. We jammed to the Kidz Bop channel on Pandora and ate our pickles in silence until it was time to load buses to go home.

Here's a picture of one of my kids with red hair, and myself with green!





Oh yea, I had a student tell me that he has a cat that bathes with him everyday. I called him a liar and told him not to tell stories. When his dad came to pick him up, I told him about that story and some others that he's been telling the kids-- he informed me that their family does, in fact, have a cat that bathes daily.
That's just weird, and freakin' gross. *cough*hairball*cough*.

25 years young

i had such a spectacular 25th birthday.
we spent the last 30 minutes of the day listening to justin bieber, eating graham crackers with cream cheese frosting and playing with legos. the kids were super awesome that day--which is not normal for a friday (or so i hear). after everyone had left and i was closing everything down for the weekend i stepped back to my "desk", which is actually a small table hidden in a corner behind my dry erase easel, for the first time since school started that day. much to my surprise i found a pile of snakes. no, no, no not real ones. puzzle pieces with snakes on them, math manipulatives that were snakes, rubber snakes, paper snakes... anything and everything that was a snake in our classroom was now in a pile on my desk. funny, but annoying. i spent about 30 minutes on monday morning returning the snakes to their places. i decided not to address the "gift" as i didn't want to give any attention to it in hopes of it never happening again. clever little shi---i mean, kids. needless to say, i was impressed and deep down i'm sure i was delighted in some way.
after school i went to the post office to find a stack of birthday greetings, then drove on to vermillion. when i got to vermillion i went to my parents house. i spent a couple of hours chatting with them--okay, okay apparently iiiiiiiiiiiii did all of the chatting. i guess that when you live alone, in the middle of nowhere with only a blog and hours of planning 1st grade lessons to do, you have a lot to say when you hit civilization again :) at around 11:30 pm i gave in to the text messages that were coming from my friends and went downtown. i had a great time seeing everyone! saturday was spent sleeping, running errands and visiting people. i paid for my first oil change (EVER) and had a chance to talk with my parent's neighbor Pat. she is the equivalent of a grandma to Matt and i. though it was brief, it was a wonderful visit--i cherish any and all time spent with she and her husband.
saturday, late afternoon, one of my good friends came down from sioux falls and another was able to get work off that night so she could celebrate all of the birthday madness! we all gathered at carey's-- beers on the patio were followed by glowing party cups at leo's sportsbar. it was so nice to see so many old and new friends!

sunday was spent going to church with my parents, eating a roast beef dinner and taking a cat nap before heading west back to rosebud. i spent the majority of my drive reflecting on the events of 9/11 and my relationship with my grandmother jeannette (it would have been her birthday).
though some would think those thoughts somber, i don't. the events of september 11, 2011 impacted my life through my brother and a good friend from wall drug who is from NYC. though i am no patriot, i am happy to be from America and to come from a family that has so many members who have sacrificed their lives and livelihood for it. it is something i will never understand, but respect each of them for willing to do it.
tonight i went to mission to have my birthday dinner with my old roommates. alison and jamie made me a fantastic dinner and a birthday cake! i'm so thankful for their friendship!
this week has been going fine, it is homecoming week. i have had perfect attendance the past two days!!! monday was pajama day, i wore my bathrobe and an oversized michael jackson t-shirt and a sleep mask as a headband.
tuesday was jersey day, i don't have a jersey of any sort so i wore my michael cuddyer tshirt.
today was hat day, so i wore my good old cowGIRL (correction from a student when i said cowboy) hat that i bought in duluth at the electric fetus in 2005.
tomorrow is crazy hair and shades day... i am in a pickle. i told my kids i would come to school with lime green hair, and have some spray dye to do so. here's the issue: one of my best friends is getting married this saturday and i'm reading a bible verse at his wedding... do i risk it, or not?!?! how well i sleep tonight will answer that question tomorrow morning, i guess :)

this is my life.

seriously, though. this is my life.
this is what i discovered when i arrived home from the post office (which i caught in time today!!!).

may this be a lesson to all baby snakes out there: stay away from me aaaaand my garage door base lip thinger.





thanks so much to all of my family and friends who have sent me mail--it seriously such a happy moment to open my little PO Box and see something other than a local advertising newspaper and/or bill(s).
i received a super silly singing card from my aunt amy, i brought it into the classroom and had a dance party with it. the kids giggled--more so at me than the card... you win some, you lose some :)
thanks again for all the support, love and prayers sent my way. it is truly appreciated.

thanks a lot, dad.

i went to the potluck out at dave & katey's house. what a great couple! i am so incredibly thankful for their friendship and support. dave is the man i student taught under at the middle school, and i took over katey's classroom this year as she moved to the position of district literacy coach. i made a reuben dip that was a hit. they live in the middle of nowhere in a little rental house. it was a beautiful afternoon spent out on the prairie with stories and laughter--a great end to a perfect weekend.

i miss my grandma jeannette every single day. some days more than others. for example, last night after i returned home with my dirty crockpot, i decided i'd clean it out and put a pork roast dinner together for my tuesday night meal. as i chopped up two potatoes, grabbed some fresh green beans and baby carrots, and took the roast out of the fridge i realized something: i don't really know what i'm doing. still, 19 months later, i picked up my phone to dial her for help. what a girl won't do for some non-judgmental help in the kitchen. not wanting to bother anyone else with my silliness, i threw it all in and set it at "low heat". tonight, around 5:40pm the pork and green beans were good, but my potatoes were still crunchy and the carrots were not cooked enough either. better luck tomorrow... i mean, things in crockpots only get better with time, right? if anyone would like to contact me to help me out with boiling eggs i'd appreciate it. everything i've read online is different.... man oh man, i miss you gramma j.

so after the trauma of the spider, i figured i would catch a break for a couple of days... not the case. after school i had a meeting with the other two 1st grade teachers, after they departed from my room i stayed until 5:20 or so. i got home and decided i would run up the the post office to see if, by chance, i had any mail. when i got to the post office, i discovered that the lobby closes at 5pm... i mean really, why wouldn't it?! ugh. so i drove home. when i got home i noticed three men in reflective vests tearing my yard apart-- why hadn't they done that last week before i cut my grass?!?! well, anyway, i went and talked with them before unlocking my garage door and parking. when i went to lift the garage door, i had it halfway up so that it stopped right in front of my face. when i moved to readjust my grip, to complete the lifting process i saw a baby snake slither into the lip of the base of my garage door!!! oh my goodness, i thought i was going to faint. so, of course before taking any further action i call my dad. he proceeded to laugh, tell me that i was, "a big girl. 25 years old. call me when the problem is solved." needless to say, i haven't called him back. oh, and just for the record--i am NOT 25 years old.

day 5 was long. and that's all i have to say about that. i hope all is well with everyone :)

Argus Leader: Growing Up Indian
Aaron Huey: America's Native POW

Here are two links that I'd like to share with you all.
The first is a series of articles from the Sioux Falls Argus Leader. It discusses some of the triumphs and failures of residents of the reservations in South Dakota.
The second is a presentation given by a man who has spent some time on Pine Ridge (Rosebud's neighboring reservation). This presentation gives a chronological history of the reservation(s) inhabited by Lakota. I find it incredibly intriguing and disgusting.

Give 'em a whirl.

happy 3 day weekend!

so, i allowed the kids to ask me some personal questions, to get to know me better. one of the questions was, "what's your favorite song?!" i informed them that there were way too many songs that i love and adore to pick just one. as i saw this, i see a hand in the back shoot up. i ask the student what he has to share and he tells me that "lollipop" by lil wayne is his favorite song ( here is the link, tell me if YOU think a 1st grader should have this as his favorite song: lollipop song & lyrics). i almost died-- on the spot. instead i informed him that it wasn't school appropriate, but i respected his taste in music and then suggested we listen to "down by the bay" on my silly songs cd.
this weekend i was able to meet up with one of my very best friends, PAULINA!!! she was home, in rapid city for her mom and little brother's birthday celebration. it was so good seeing her. my dad always says, "you seem to have a better outlook on life after spending time with paulina." i think that's true. pauli is one of my closest friends because we connect on so many different levels. thanks for a great day, collins family!
yesterday i was able to pick some new posters up for my classroom. holy moly, posters are expensive! i really wanted to get some Lakota--English picture posters, but they were $23 each! so i settled for a paul goble print and a lakota flag song poster. not what i initially wanted, but all i could afford. oh! i was able to get some groceries at fareway--what a delight! an actual grocery store with sales on products other than canned goods. I WAS IN HEAVEN. on my way out of town, i stopped at target and did some damage there, i now have a full length mirror (no more excuses for silly outfits, i can actually see them now), some more prizes for my good behavior treasure box, sticky tac and much, much more! it's amazing how much money i'm spending on my stinkin' classroom.
when i arrived home last night there was a giant spider in my garage. i usually brag about how i am unaffected by these creatures... apparently that is not the case. i had to give myself a pep talk, took some deep breathes, then walked away for a half hour... when i came back it was still there. so, i dominated it with one of my brown minnetonka moccasins.

this morning i was able to catch ali on skype. we discussed some wedding details--she found THE dress, band and possible caterer and i was able to meet baby ava via webcam! what a thrill :) skype has helped me to maintain many friendships, i am so thankful for that techy tool!
as for the remainder of my day, i will be writing lesson plans then going to a labor day party at the home of my student teaching field base supervisor for some yard games and a potluck. i need to get my lessons for this week planned, but also for the following week. i will be going home to verm to celebrate the big 2-5 that is creeping up this friday. i can't wait to see my parents and rijah, and to have some more kitchen utensils--i have had one frying pan for the past month. ugh.
i hope everyone has had a great weekend, spent with family and friends. we are all so blessed :)

thanks d&d.

I had the cutest surprise today--my mommy and daddy sent me flowers :) 

i was in the middle of a lesson, when my class phone rang. my para answered it and said, miss.smidt, it's for you. so, slightly concerned, i went to the phone. on the other end i hear, "is there something you're not telling us? who are YOU? do you have a boyfriend? a boyfriend that would send you roses, sunflowers and carnations?!" after she was done giggling, the secretary told me that i had a delivery that was going to be made in the next few minutes.  thanks, mom and dad for the beautiful arrangement.

day three was great! the literacy coaches for the district stopped into my room and complimented me on my management and my lesson. i was so nervous about their visit, i was truly relieved to hear positive feedback. two girls came today that hadn't yet, but i lost two on my roster. so my class count is down to 17. this is fairly normal, i am told. the enrollment fluctuates quite often, that is why as a district we try to stay on schedule with our lessons--for the students who go from one school to the next.
i had my first school lunch today, we are allowed 20 free meals per year. i punched my first hole on the punchcard for homemade pizza, 3 baby carrots and a scoop of diced pears... oh! and a chocolate milk. it was free, so i will not leave any complaints :)
on an airy note, i had to have the "fart" talk today with the kids. someone farted and the person sitting next to him felt the need to make a big deal of it. as i lectured them about farts, i couldn't help but think of both sides of my extended family, and what they wouldn't give to see/hear me give a talk about letting farts go and not making a big deal about them (i am a firm believer that farts are HILARIOUS no matter what the situation or age). however, i was able to keep my composure (maybe i'm an adult afterall) and even made them raise their hand if they had ever farted before. man oh man, i thought my para was going to die from smothered laughter.
i received a "smoky the bear" lapel pin from one of my kids. when he gave it to me he said, "here you go miss. smidt. sorry for barfing. you can keep that (the pin)." ahh, the perks of teaching primary grades.

congrats to my mom, the master gardener! i guess she won yard of the month, or something like that. it pays off to have brown knees and a sweaty ponytail all summer long :)