Life according to the iPhone

 1. The nail polish obsession is getting bad. But in a really good way.

2. I love the way she sleeps. How is that even comfortable?!

 1. Lady loves when Nathan plays music almost more than I do.

2. Smart cookie is a dream come true.

3. I love meeting up with the little sister!

1. She has become even more clingy since I went back to work. I love it.

2. One night Lady rolled around in dirt on the balcony. We gave her a bath. She did not enjoy it.

3. Simple picture from our trip to St George. McDonald's, diet coke, and t=The Office in a comfy hotel bed = heaven.

Oh hey, did you guys know that I have a cat? Because I do. And I'm obsessed with her.

1. Checking herself out.

2. Picture from our Idaho trip. Uncle Nathan and Clarky playing temple run.

3. She's so seductive.

1. This homegirl will east ANYTHING. And she begs like a dog. While I make dinner she just stands behind me and stares at me. When I open a can she immediately starts meowing. She's such a fatso.

2. Some mornings I am super grumpy because I ran out of milk when I really want cereal. And then my sweet husband shows up with some. I like him.

3. These are Lady's "crazy eyes." It's what happens if you dangle toys or food.

We took an amazing fall drive on Sunday. I love the mountains.

1. I needed to share this because it makes me so happy. This is my brother-in-law at the BYU vs Utah game. Amazing, right?

2. Jenna and I went to see the One Direction movie the other day. We were the only people in the theater. I'm not ashamed.

More pictures of Lady and Nathan because they're cute. That last one is proof that Lady thinks everything is hers. Her water dish is a couple feet away, but she always goes for our water cups.

1. Saying goodbye to Clarky a couple weeks ago. I love that boy!

2. After the temple one weekend.

3. Playing legos before bed with Kal!

Last kitty pictures, I promise.

1. She loves to hide from us. She really thinks we can't see her. This is her favorite spot. She jumps out and attacks you when you least expect it. She also likes to hide under the bed. But all she does is stick her head under the bed and the rest of her body sticks out. it's hilarious.

2. She also likes to nap in the crib. It warms my heart. The crib might not be getting its intended use right now, but I am glad someone is getting use from it.

Things my students say..

Back to school! Back to the posts about weird things my buddies say! 


ZG: I got lasagna on my backpack.. Don't worry, it's not anything weird. Just lasagna.

I put my class into groups and they had to come up with group rules. These were my favorites: 
KB: Thou shall not kill!
IH: We can only write with writing utensils. This is to prevent students from bringing kitchen utensils to class. Which is dangerous. And weird.
They also had to come up with ways to solve disagreements. Most kids said "rock, paper, scissors" or "everyone votes." Another group decided on this:
DB: The hunger games

ZG: "Instead of animal testing, we should do all the testing on really old people. Like, 90 years old. We'd probably be doing them a favor at that point. Or fish. And frogs. No one likes fishes and frogs. So yeah, like old people or fish and frogs."

IH: What's her name again? Mrs. Cobbler??
Talking about another language arts teacher. Her name is Mrs. Tobler. I don't know why this made me laugh so hard.

One journal prompt was to tell the story of a child's birthday party from the point of view of the pinata. This one was my favorite. If you know the kid, it's even better.
GP: i was in a stoor when this person came and picked me up. i am a star pinata by the way. they put me in a bag and thro me in a car. i was so excited to get out but that dident last long. they hung me from a pole and spung a kid around in a circle then he hit me with a stick again and again. then they broke me. they were feasting on my inerds and lauphing. they beat me more then i ended up in a garbage can and a hobo found me. he fixed me while i planned my revenge..

CE: Can I go outside for a minute

Me: Why?

CE: Because I think my shoes smell and I'm embarrassed.

Me: I won't be here that morning because I'm going to the dentist.
CE: What? Hahaha, you still go to the dentist?! That's for kids!
Me: You will need to go to the dentist for the rest of your life. Your teeth actually get worse as you get older.
CE: Wow. That ruins my day.

Me: Why is "girls" not considered a simple subject in this sentence?
IH: Because girls are not simple. They are super complicated human beings.

CD: How do you say "cliche?"  (he pronounced it "click-he")
Me: It's kind of a funny word. It's pronounced cliche.
CD: Woah, that's weird.
IH: Gosh! You're such an idiom! 
CD: Yeah, well you're an oxymoron!
Insulting each other using figurative language? Every language arts teacher's dream!

random, bulleted thoughts

I haven't done one of these in a while.
So.. I'm gonna do one

+ Nathan and I are almost done re-watching The Office for the 900th time. It never gets old. Nathan was actually the one who introduced me to The Office. He brought over the third season to my apartment when we were just friends and I became obsessed. I found out later that he thought we were just like Jim and Pam- best friends in love who just couldn't get the timing right. But then we did! And so did Jim and Pam! Yay! But seriously, I have see this show more times than any other show. Including Friends! I have every episode memorized. I have watched the entire show completely though probably 14 or 15 times. That might sound crazy, but this show is my happy place. It can always make me laugh. I would watch it when I was sad when Nathan was on his mission. I watch it now when I'm having hard days. Good old Dunder Mifflin has really been a life saver.

+ One of my students has a really bad stomach ache. I told him he could lay on the floor while everyone was working on their starters. He was moaning and saying, "Ahhhhhh! I think my colon is turning blue!" I don't even know what that means.

+ My students expect me to know everything. It's flattering that they have so much faith in me, but frustrating sometimes because they bring every question they have to me. One kid just asked, "What city was The Hunger Games published in?" As if that is common knowledge for all Language Arts teachers. I also get asked all the time if their calculator is correct.

+ Yesterday I got an email from my principal asking me to come down to see him after school. I panicked and suddenly tried to think of anything I have ever done wrong. He just needed me to sign a form about changing grades. It's funny though how, after all these years, begin called to the principal's office can still elicit so much fear.
+ We went to the temple this weekend and it was wonderful. I wish I could live in there. The new movie is incredible!

+ I had to spend $400 yesterday on tests. I have to take 3 tests this year. Two to upgrade my teaching license. One to finish my reading endorsement. They are freaking expensive, take 3 hours, and none of them will help me get paid more. I can't wait to take them! 

+ We also spent $400 on new tires yesterday. Horray for commuting and needing to replace them every year!
+ I'm being whiny. I really don't mean to be whiny. We are very blessed financially. So I will just shut my pie hole.
+ Speaking of pie, I don't trust people who think pie is better than other dessert. Pie is gross. If I want to eat fruit, I'll just eat fruit! I don't need it baked up and swimming in syrup. Barf.

+ I miss being in Idaho with these people. I love that the Merkley's always wave as we drive away. It makes me feel famous.

 + One of my students got a hair cut yesterday and he hates it. He says it shows off his forehead and his forehead is way too shiny. I told him he looked handsome and he said, "No offense, Mrs. Merkley, but I'm not trying to attract teachers. I'm trying to attract 14-year-old girls."

+ Have you ever tried Cookie Butter? Because it's changed my life. I'm talking Nutella status people!

+ The spacing on this post is weird. I hate using my work computer to blog. It's a piece of crap. I know what you're thinking. "Why don't you not blog at work Kaitlin. Shouldn't you be working, anyways?" And to that I have to say: Shut up. You don't know me!

+ GUYS. I un-shrunk a pair of jeans! It's true!!!! I accidently threw my husband's brand new pair of jeans in the dryer and they shunk uo big time! They were too short and too tight. And just so you really understand the seriousness of this situation, finding jeans for Nathan is impssible. He's very tall, but very skinny. So any jeans that are long enough for him, are too big. And any jeans that fit his hips and thighs, are too short. It's impossible to find the perfect fit for him. So when he finds jeans that fit, we are very happy. So I was super sad when I realized what I did. I remember pinning something about unshirnking clothes so I found the pin but say that it said it didn't work on jeans. Well I researched a little more and decided to combine a few "un-shrinking" methods. I soaked the jeans in warm water and hair conditioner for 30 minutes. Then I rolled them up in a towel to get as much water out as I could without wringing them dry. Then I laid them on a new towlel and got to stretching. I held on end and pulled as hard as I could. The conditioner softens up the fibers and I couldn't believe that they were stretching but they did! As you can see in the picture, that's how the first side looked when I was done. I stretched the other, and then I put the soaking wet jeans on (the things I do for that man) and did some squats and lunches to stretch out the hips, thighs, and crotch. Then I let them air dry. And guess what?! THEY FIT!!! Nathan can't even tell the difference. In fact, he said they are even longer than they were before which he likes. I am magic, guys. MAGIC.

+ Today I talked with my students about what they wanted to be their reward if reached 200 good behavior points. Usually it's a party. They all decided they wanted me to bring my childhood diaries to work and read entries from them. Seriously. I kept saying you guys don't want donuts or pizza? No. They want journal entries. What the heck?? I even tried to deter them by saying my journals are boring, but it didn't work. And that's not true either.  I was an incredibly dramatic, boy-crazy young child. There's some good crap in there. This is the first time I'm hoping they don't get good behavior points.

+ Nathan graduates LDSBC in April and there's a chance we might leave Utah. It's not necessarily huge, but it's the first time we have ever even discussed the possibility of moving. It seems so weird! I HATE Utah winter with a passion, but I really have learned to love this place and I will be sad if we leave. Life is weird.

if you already think I'm too obsessed with my cat, you probably shouldn't read this post

Lady turned 1 this weekend.

And we had a party for her.

Okay it wasn't exactly a party. But Jessi and Marshall came over and we got her a new catnip toy and sang to her over a plate of tuna.

She went craaazy for her new toy. It was in a package up on the counter and she smelled it and started freaking out. It was hilarious. When we got it open she just layed on the floor and bit it and licked it and rubbed it all over her face.

I love Lady's eyes in this picture. She has no time for pictures. She wants that freaking tuna.

 I don't even care how weird people are who throw cat birthday parties..

..because these are my people, and I love them so much.

why teaching part time is actually the best thing ever

For those who don't know, I am teaching part-time this year. I hadn't planned on coming back at all when I was pregnant, but when we lost the baby, my boss offered me my full-time job back. There was a part-time position open doing my same job, but in 9th grade instead of 8th. Nathan and I talked and prayed about it, and it felt right for me to go part time, so I asked to be moved there instead. It has worked out perfectly. 

This is how I feel about my part-time gig:

Here, I'll tell you why.

1. I don't usually sleep in, but if I wanted to, I could sleep in until 9:45.

2. I get to spend the mornings with my husband! When I was full time, I had to be up at 6 and out the door around 6:50. Nathan doesn't have to be up until 7:30, so we hardly ever saw each other in the morning. Now I get to get up with him and make him a lunch and eat with him and iron his shirts and talk with him before he leaves. I love it!

3. I have time to actually do things! I've always loved my summer breaks because I actually get to be a housewife and take care of Nathan and the chores. (I'm not some anti-feminism, submissive housewife. I generally love doing that crap!) Nathan works full time at a very demanding job and then goes to school full time as well. Any spare time he has is filled with homework and then he goes around cleaning and cooking and I feel so guilty! Having this time in the morning to clean up or run errands is amazing. Nathan is not as OCD as I am, but I HATE a dirty house!!

4. A lot of the time the house is clean and the errands are run, so I can just relax. 

5. Sometimes, if I motivate myself enough, I even work out in the morning. That is a miracle in and of itself. 

6. Since I am teaching 4 classes instead of 8, I don't feel like I want to die at the end of the day. It's nice because not only do I have free time in the morning to do things, but I have energy in the afternoon to do things as well! Anyone who has ever taught can testify that it is one of the most exhausting professions. I come home and my voice hurts from talking all day, my feet hurt from standing all day, my head hurts from thinking too much, my patience is thin from bad behaviors, there are several times a month I cried at the end of the day.. teaching is just exhausting!! Now I get all the joys of teaching with a little bit less of the stress. Some days are still hard, of course, but nothing like it's been in the past.

7. Since I am part time, my special ed caseload numbers have to be smaller too. This might not make sense to too many people, but my caseload right now is thirteen students. (Thirteen students who are my legal responsibility; I write their IEPs and meet with their parents and track their grades etc.) Last year my caseload was thirty. The year before that, thirty-four. Thirteen is the best number in the world to me right now!

8. This doesn't have to do with me being part time, but this summer a new middle school was opened in our area and it cut down out class sizes significantly. My classes are the size they are supposed to be! Last year I had twenty-one kids in my resource language arts class. Resource classes are supposed to be small! That's why they are resource classes! This year, all my classes are under 8 students! It makes teaching so much easier and managing behaviors is actually manageable this year! My first year, I had a home room class of thirty-two kids. All resource. It was a nightmare!

9. Since I chose to move up a grade, I have all the same students as last year. Some people think this is a bad thing, but I love my buddies. We really bonded last year. When I lost the baby, I can't explain it, but they came together for me. For most of them, I was the first pregnant person they really knew and also the first experience they really had with any kind of death. They were really affected, and their love poured out to me. I am so glad to have them again. Plus, I already know everything about them and I know all their parents. They can't get away with anything.

10. I get to snuggle and play with Lady alllllll morning! 

11. I've already gushed to you guys all about my team I taught with the last two years. They are still the bomb. I was super bummed I wouldn't be teaching with them since I was changing grades, but I still get to see them all the time! And we still have lunch together every day. I don't even have to be sad.

12. Every Friday in our district is a late-start day for the kids, so we have these long, pointless faculty meetings where nothing really gets accomplished. I don't have to go to those anymore!

13. I can wash my hair in the morning. This sounds weird, but I have very thick hair, so even when it's short, it take 10 years to dry. I could never shower in the morning in the past because it takes almost 40 minutes just to blow dry my hair. And I was not waking up 40 minutes earlier just to blow dry my hair. So I always showered at night, went to sleep with wet hair, and woke up with a giant lion's mane. Now I can shower and let my hair air dry for a few hours or blow dry it slowly. It sounds dumb, but just another little perk. I have had either early morning classes or an early morning job since freshman year of high school, so it's been a long time since I could wash my hair in the morning.

14. I don't have to drive to work in the dark! I love this. I absolutely hated driving to work in the dark. It was worse in the Winter, because I would get to work when it was still dark, and then the sun was setting by the time I left work. There are no windows in my classroom so there are days where I hardly saw the sun at all. DEPRESSING.

15. I really love the new team I work with. 9th grade runs a little differently since it's high school, but I still collaborate with a team of six other teachers and I love them all. I knew them all before working together, so it's been a nice, easy transition. I only co-teach one class now instead of three, so I was worried my kids would be lost in their science and history classes, but the teachers have worked closely with me and are so accommodating of my kids' needs. I really work at the best school!

Basically all teachers should be part time.

And be paid more, but that's another story.

Ps. I'm free in the mornings if you wanna grab breakfast or come over to tell me how clean my apartment it. Or how cute my cat is.

our 47th road trip this summer

We took yet another road trip this weekend up to Idaho to see family! Brad and Amanda brought their boys up too so it was perfect. We just hung out and enjoyed each other's company. Very relaxing and a lot of fun! I feel like I don't even need to warn you at this point that there is going to be a billion pictures. However, I should warn you that 97% of them are of my nephew, Kalvin and he is super cute and you might die because of his cuteness. He is a very willing model. Clark didn't approve of all my picture taking.

Hanging out with Heather in her little yard.

Zoe was eating sand and being weird.

Kalvin didn't like that very much.

Well.. this exists. And I died.

We all watched while Shawn blew on the spider. Very fascinating stuff.

Such a Clark face.

That one time Jaden put a fake spider on my shoulder and I screamed louder than I ever have before

Showing us his muscles!

That one time Clark ate in on the bike and showed us his undies.

Grandpa took Clark on a ride and he didn't want to get off. They road forever!

Happy Heather!

Playing patty cake

Look of death.

cutting melons..

I have never seen someone so in love with soda

and then the clothes came off!

He's my special buddy :)

Lady killer