Well.... today was a really fun day, except for the fact that alot of people were crying because a lot of our friends are moving - which is really sad!!!!!! Two of the best soccer players are moving and without them we will do well next year but not as well as we would do if they were here!!
Most of the boys played soccer today which would have been really fun to join if my friends had let me. lol. I will miss everyone that is moving even the sixth graders!!! Most of the time we just signed year books and it was really hard to get everyone to sign because some people didn't want to.
Yesterday we had sports day. It's one of the biggest days of the year!!!! In my school we each belong to a house like in Harry Potter. I belong to the yellow house!!! We have a lot of events during the year like a quiz bowl, softball, kick ball, and sports day. Your house gets points for what you do. Sports day is worth a lot of points so whoever wins that wins the whole year practically! I ran in the 100 meter race and won but in the final I lost :-( and I did the 800 meter race and tied for last. I really didn't care about losing that one. Then we had a relay, which we were winning till our eighth grader was up but she did soooooo great. She was brilliant!!!!!!!! In order red house won, then blue, green, and we came in last!!!!! Yay.lol. We will win next year. I can't wait to go see my family in Utah!!!!!! I can't see straight!!!. lol.
My favorite show right now is Bones. I it is so good and if u havn't seen it go buy it right now!!!!!! Oh, btw, in our house in Salt Lake my grandma said I had the cleanest room in the whole house!!! yay. I'm so proud!!! My favorite songs are (not in order) You Give Love a Bad Name (Bon Jovi), How to Save a Life (The Fray), Living on a Prayer (Bon Jovi), Umberella (Rihanna), and loads more!!!!!!(Can't remember all the names).
You know what's really funny - if we didn't have school do you know how bored we all would be? jk. lol. Today I asked my friends if they were happy school was over and most said, "not really" or "kind of!" its really funny!
xXx_Andrea_xXx
Friday, 22 June 2007
Tuesday, 19 June 2007
3 More Days and Counting...
Andrea received an award yesterday for "Best Team Player" in Spanish. I don't know what that means exactly, and apparently neither does she! I found her certificate wadded up in her backpack so I don't think she was totally impressed - but she's great!
Taylore is taking her Bio and Psych finals today and tomorrow Algebra and Trig. She will be done but wants to keep going to school until Friday.
Yesterday I caught a ride home on their bus for the first time ever - there are only 3 of them still on the bus in the afternoon and it is eerily quiet. Everyone is plugged into something and not saying much. Interestingly enough, I noticed Andrea has all these songs that she just loves (like they are the latest rage) - Marley, Dylan, Beatles, Billy Joel - when I mentioned that these were some of my favorites when I was her age the coolness factor took a nosedive!
We are so excited to go back to the States... we are going to miss Jeff. The girls made him a big jar with lots of goodies and letters for Father's Day. The idea is that he is to read one letter or have one treat everyday until it is time for him to meet us in SLC.
We'll also keep him updated on our blog... of course.
Taylore is taking her Bio and Psych finals today and tomorrow Algebra and Trig. She will be done but wants to keep going to school until Friday.
Yesterday I caught a ride home on their bus for the first time ever - there are only 3 of them still on the bus in the afternoon and it is eerily quiet. Everyone is plugged into something and not saying much. Interestingly enough, I noticed Andrea has all these songs that she just loves (like they are the latest rage) - Marley, Dylan, Beatles, Billy Joel - when I mentioned that these were some of my favorites when I was her age the coolness factor took a nosedive!
We are so excited to go back to the States... we are going to miss Jeff. The girls made him a big jar with lots of goodies and letters for Father's Day. The idea is that he is to read one letter or have one treat everyday until it is time for him to meet us in SLC.
We'll also keep him updated on our blog... of course.
Wednesday, 13 June 2007
The Countdown Begins
8 more days of school. Taylore, to her dismay, got an award for academic excellence in math this year. Interestingly enough, she would have given her eye teeth to get that same award in English. I am very proud of her. I'm especially proud because I know how hard she worked this year.
Andrea is hanging in there. One of her best buddies already left school to return to the U.S. She is not coming back and it has definately put a damper on her mood. There will be new arrivals next year and she will get through it but it is one of the disappointments of "expat" life.
I am going to the National Portrait Gallery today. That is where I'm doing my Visiting Teaching this month.
Jeff an I celebrated our 27th anniversary on Monday and as always it reminds us of how life just races by and it seems like just yesterday that we were in Logan, Atlanta, Springfield, Des Moines... you get the picture. We went to one of my favorite places for dinner - Nobu - and had a great meal and when we asked for the bill the waiter told us that it had already been taken care of - Jeff's boss had called in and paid our bill. What a nice present!
I'm including a fantastic spring/summer recipe today on my blog because my mouth has been watering for it and it is worth sharing:
Ham and Asparagus Tortellini Salad
Salad:
1/4 kilo asparagus trimmed into 1 inch pieces
2-3 pkg of cheese-filled tortellini
6 slices of ham chopped
1 pkg. strawberries (they are so good here now)
Dressing:
50 mls (1/3 c) olive oil
50 mls cider vinegar
50 mls lime cordial
4 green onions finely chopped
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta; put into an ice bath. Blanche asparagus. Mix dressing. Once cold, gently toss pasta and rest of ingredients. Do not use too much dressing. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Fold in strawberries just before serving. (Feta, crumbled - optional!)
Give it a try - it is 'lovely'!
Andrea is hanging in there. One of her best buddies already left school to return to the U.S. She is not coming back and it has definately put a damper on her mood. There will be new arrivals next year and she will get through it but it is one of the disappointments of "expat" life.
I am going to the National Portrait Gallery today. That is where I'm doing my Visiting Teaching this month.
Jeff an I celebrated our 27th anniversary on Monday and as always it reminds us of how life just races by and it seems like just yesterday that we were in Logan, Atlanta, Springfield, Des Moines... you get the picture. We went to one of my favorite places for dinner - Nobu - and had a great meal and when we asked for the bill the waiter told us that it had already been taken care of - Jeff's boss had called in and paid our bill. What a nice present!
I'm including a fantastic spring/summer recipe today on my blog because my mouth has been watering for it and it is worth sharing:
Ham and Asparagus Tortellini Salad
Salad:
1/4 kilo asparagus trimmed into 1 inch pieces
2-3 pkg of cheese-filled tortellini
6 slices of ham chopped
1 pkg. strawberries (they are so good here now)
Dressing:
50 mls (1/3 c) olive oil
50 mls cider vinegar
50 mls lime cordial
4 green onions finely chopped
1/2 tsp grated lemon peel
1/4 tsp salt
pepper to taste
Directions:
Cook pasta; put into an ice bath. Blanche asparagus. Mix dressing. Once cold, gently toss pasta and rest of ingredients. Do not use too much dressing. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Fold in strawberries just before serving. (Feta, crumbled - optional!)
Give it a try - it is 'lovely'!
Thursday, 7 June 2007
Dog Days of School
Not many days left for school and the kids are getting crazy. Andrea has a lot of friends leaving this year and has had several going away parties. We are hosting a little party of our own tonight with 5 of the "best friends" getting together as Ally is leaving tomorrow. They are spending the night here. I know it is a school night but sometimes rules must be bent.
Taylore is studying intensely for her finals that are coming up next week. She is receiving an academic award tonight at school but we won't be told until we get there what the award is for. We will let you know as soon as we find out. I'm not sure why they do that - keeping up the excitement until the last possible moment I guess. Last year she got the highest academic acheivement in the History department. I have to tell you that took me totally by surprise. I have a feeling this year it will be something in math - she's taking Trig, Algebra II and Geometry. With a little help from her math tutor is doing great in all of them. The math tutor took a month off in May because he was going through his own finals at Imperial College but he promised he would have her ready to go for finals in June. He has been here every night for 2 hours after school and they have been working hard. Interestingly enough she had two tests in Geometry while he was gone and received 100's on both of them.
I even offered to take her shopping for something new to wear for tonight and she said no - she was doing an essay... Andrea went shopping by herself yesterday - but had 20 pounds "nicked." That's the word she used and if you want to know what that means check in your local British Dictionary!
Taylore is studying intensely for her finals that are coming up next week. She is receiving an academic award tonight at school but we won't be told until we get there what the award is for. We will let you know as soon as we find out. I'm not sure why they do that - keeping up the excitement until the last possible moment I guess. Last year she got the highest academic acheivement in the History department. I have to tell you that took me totally by surprise. I have a feeling this year it will be something in math - she's taking Trig, Algebra II and Geometry. With a little help from her math tutor is doing great in all of them. The math tutor took a month off in May because he was going through his own finals at Imperial College but he promised he would have her ready to go for finals in June. He has been here every night for 2 hours after school and they have been working hard. Interestingly enough she had two tests in Geometry while he was gone and received 100's on both of them.
I even offered to take her shopping for something new to wear for tonight and she said no - she was doing an essay... Andrea went shopping by herself yesterday - but had 20 pounds "nicked." That's the word she used and if you want to know what that means check in your local British Dictionary!
Friday, 1 June 2007
A Great Place to Visit
It's funny the things you remember about an event or a vacation or just life. If you ask one person what their impression or memories are about something they will be totally different, but just as valid, as another person who was there at the same time enjoying (or not) the same things. I tend to remember mostly good things (except for one notable exception in France) and for the most part have only fond memories or at least good laughs from all of our trips around the world. This particular trip was one of my favorite this year. On a recent visit to Italy we explored Rome and Pompeii and went away wishing for more - which is always a good thing.
Andrea is making a wish as she throws her coin into Trevi Fountain. Legend has it that if your coin makes it into the water that you will return to Rome someday. We all got our coins into the water except for Jeff who thought that it would make more sense to keep his coin in his pocket so he would have enough to come back again - hahahaha.
I like this picture. It seems to capture a bit of the flavor of that vacation which was a lot of site seeing and wandering around old relics. Jeff and Taylore are walking toward St. Peter's Cathedral.
This is our all-time favorite treat any time we are in Italy - gelato. No matter what the weather we find a way to enjoy it at least once a day.
Pompeii was amazing. It was so surreal to be walking on these 2500 year old streets where you could still see the ruts in the roads made by chariot wheels. There was also an amazing bordello with shockingly graphic pictures of all the possible delights available. Hasn't changed much in 2500 years!!
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