Back in the Saddle

So tonight I caught up (if you can call it that) a couple month's worth of events.  It's my goal to be completely up to date by the end of October.  Since the end of August I have truly been the busiest I ever remember being, so I'm not sure if it will happen.  I'm kind of back in the saddle with teaching again. On a very limited basis.  In weird formats that allow me to still be basically a full-time mom.

I am teaching a concurrent enrollment section of Bio 1010 up at USU.  I broadcast it distance ed to students in rural Utah.  It has taken some getting used to speaking to a screen and talking back and forth through microphones, but I am enjoying it.  It has also been a ton of work.  I picked my own text.  I'm deciding what to teach, how to teach it, assignments, tests, etc.  In fact, I'm pretty sure until about a week ago when I was observed I could have been teaching just about anything and nobody would have been the wiser.  To say I've had pretty much no guidance, help, or oversight would be an understatement.  Having no colleagues is kind of weird.  I'm an island!

Bio 1010 is basically a simpler, lecture-based version of AP Biology though and I guess it's just like riding a bike.  I teach four mornings a week for 55 minutes each.  I have about 75 students at 5 sites.  I like it a lot, but the prep has been kicking my butt because I don't get started on it until after everything else is done - usually around 9:30 or 10:00 at night.  The class has also been at 8:00 a.m. this trimester, so I've had to arrange child care in the mornings.  That has actually gone pretty well. Luke is already gone.  Depending on the day Jer, my mom, or my friend Nicki get my boys on the bus at 8:20 and drop Leah to preschool for me.  I think the kids have kind of viewed it as a novelty.  I have had some mom guilt but fortunately it's temporary.  When the trimester changes at the end of November my life will become much easier because I get to teach the same thing over again and my class is at 9:15.  Yay!

I also started teaching an online class called FDSCI 101 for BYUIdaho.  It is completely online but has been a ton of work to get figured out.  I'm still only working about a week ahead of my students. This first semester goes until December and will also make my life so much easier once I'm doing it for the second time instead of learning everything brand new.  It has been a pretty steep learning curve to figure out my responsibilities, but I think it will be a great job in the long run.  My computer has been crapping out on me all month causing me to want to swear like a sailor because I basically live on the computer doing this BYU class during Leah's preschool hours.  My house cleaning and sleep schedule have suffered a bit but otherwise I'm starting to get into a groove.

Our Primary Presentation was also in September which couldn't have come at a busier time.  Yes, I'm still the Primary President (please ignore the part about my wanting to swear a lot).  I'm so happy to say that the presentation is over and it went well.  Hallelujah!  It was a small miracle.  With soccer season ending I feel like I might be able to breathe!  We do have great Primary kids though and I love the ladies I work with, so I wouldn't trade it.  I don't want to be in Relief Society!  :)

That is my long, rambling explanation of why I'm a terrible blogger and picture taker.  Something had to give!