Updates:
Mark did better than he expected in his classes...two A's for two classes is fantastic!
I am pretty sure I made an A in my class, since none of my assignments or tests were below an A, but my final grade isn't posted. Mark helped me proofread my two papers. :-) Pretty much because I would just turn it in as is or rewrite it entirely if I were proofreading it... I just enjoy that he gets to dive into what I'm learning for a short amount of time and converse with me about my artwork and writing!
The blog looks different! It wouldn't let me upload anymore pictures, so I had to find a way around that. I started about a week ago, and got side tracked with things a long the way. I know the look is too simple, but I like it for now!
Mark stayed up late last night playing games; I went to bed early last night (playing catch-up on sleep).
I lost my SO ID. I just have the card with a slim whole punched in it. It broke the second day I got it, so I had duct tape to fix it for last term. I was moving around a printer at school and I saw it fall off. I don't remember picking it up, but the next day, it was gone, so I have no idea where it is. I went to try and get a replacement, but the lady in the security office wasn't here last term. She is trying to get in touch with someone who was (in between texting and talking on her cell phone) so that she can find my application from last term. At this point, it may just be quicker to start a new one. It only took two days last term. I'm going on 3+the weekend now. Luckily, we live less than 2 minutes from the Security Office, so we can keep dropping in and checking for updates. One of the guards at the gate recognized me now, so I haven't been harassed for not having my ID for a day and a half now! Woo!
Teaching is going quite well! Sarah and I are enjoying team teaching and getting the kids into a routine. We started with the 5 years olds on Tuesday and they weren't as bad as I was expecting (except for one, who was right on par...). We are journaling about the kids' progress. I love only having 21 kids total (3 classes of 7 over 2 days) because I feel like I can be that much more effective! I've always believed teachers have way more influence over children than most people realize (teachers definitely know this!). I enjoyed having 800 kids last school year, because that was 800 more opportunities for me to change the world. Well, having 27 kids doesn't increase my chances, it just refines and directs the energy! Instead of mass producing, we get to help build and develop quality people! We still haven't decorated, yet. Once I get a printer (we only have three in the room to choose from) working, then we are going to have the 5 year olds design a dinosaur, print and hang those! I'm still planning on painting a mural, though!
We have started an SO kickball team and somehow I am the captain. I went to a captain's meeting on Wednesday and found out the other 8 captains are all men. And most are returning teams. It's going to be competitive. But our team (yes, our team! Mark is playing, too!) picked the "Kickin' Chickens," and we will embody the fun that our name communicates.
Mark and I had planned on joining the SGU choir this term! Undergrad (for those who are actually registered for the class) didn't start until last week. So I went last Friday without Mark because he had an Emergency Medicine Club meeting where he learned some great tips from SGU alumni currently in their ER residency. We both went to choir yesterday evening (Fridays from 5-7...yep, that's our Friday nights from here on out). He was the only male (we didn't have any the week before)! He did a great job holding his own since the director wasn't giving him much to work with! I moved from Soprano to Alto in the first week because I had always sung Soprano 2, which wasn't as strenuous as what we had the first week! I'm really excited about singing alto because it is a more difficult part, and I'm up for a challenge! And there are a lot more sopranos than altos in the choir already. Yesterday, I made the mistake of telling the director that I have a music degree and an iPad with a keyboard app (two separate conversations). So she sent me with the altos to work out our parts for two different songs, one with four sharps and the other with four flats. Hah. We got through it, but it was interesting. I've never considered myself a choir person, but I'm definitely getting the hang of this! And of course, Mark is good, too! Our concert will be April 1st at a Cathedral!
I also joined the SGU's Hip Hop Dance Group...Cardiac Arrest! There will be at least two performances this term and there will probably be videos on Facebook. I feel a little silly doing hip hop moves, but it's great cardio, fun people, and dancing! One of the captains (anther SO) is really big into ballet and modern and will be teaching a more lyrical piece next week! I will enjoy that! Though, I am starting to find some enjoyment out of hip hop when I don't look entirely too silly. :)
As far as other updates, Mark is taking a selective right now on imaging and anatomy and signed up for a second one (he had to get special permission for that) for trauma life support. A selective is an additional class (in his case, most of the work is online modules) that he gets to put on his resume and add a few credits to his total. I think he is getting way more out of it! He seems to prefer the new course work over studying. Selectives are not normally extra money (free classes!?), but the Trauma Life Support is actually a certification class, so he paid $150USD, but will be Trauma Life Support certified in the end! This is great for clinicals, observations over the summer, and if he does want to do EM residency (emergency medicine). I'm still impressed by the countless resources that SGU provides for its students.
The other two things that we may add to our plate, though probably not weekly, are Cross Fit and Ultimate Frisbee. Cross Fit is an intensive workout that aims to build muscle. There is a student on campus that leads these classes once a week, and I went a few times last term and enjoyed the butt-kicking. Mark is the big proponent of going this term...so I might entertain him by going along with it. We played Ultimate Frisbee once (tried for twice, but apparently it was too muddy) last term. It was a different frisbee weight than the one we were used to, but then I bought an Ultimate-weight frisbee at the end of term sale and we are more used to the heavier weight now. Also, Mark got his light-up Frisbee for Christmas (and I'm surprised the light still works as much as he's made me use it...), and that is Ultimate-weight, too. So I think we can try again!
Board game days are still going on! We have had two now, very different from each other! Both turnouts have been far too large (it's too difficult to play with so many people), but enjoyable all the same. Mark came to both because he had THAT much more time with his first two classes. He may not be coming for awhile now. The place that we played at this week was offered to us by a new SO. Her apartment complex (very IKEA!) has a shared game room with pool, darts, foosball, giant flat screen, and an open bar. Pretty insane. Not the best place to play board games (we dragged the stools from the bar around the pool table to play a board game...), but a fun place to be! I beat Mark in pool, and then got beat by Becky. Hmph. Mark played darts with Janely, and played his first ever game of Settlers using a board (we have played a ton on the iPad!).
We went to the pool together on Thursday (since I had already taken my final exam and turned in my paper). We played frisbee in the pool...he seriously cannot get enough. There were three of my student and one of his professors there, plenty of SOs to socialize with, and it just made for a refreshing afternoon! Our poor hammock has only gotten used a couple of times this week. Seriously, we cannot get enough of our fairy tale island life right now! :)
