Merry Christmas Everyone!

Wow Christmas Eve already! The kids want to open a gift tonight and I am stumped. Because of current financial situation I had help supplying Christmas gifts this year. My delema is that I have no idea what the kids are getting and what to give them tonight. I am just so greatful that we are blessed enought to have gifts and a home when others have less.

And since I don't update this often I will share that I found out last week that I passed the PLT test. I scored 173, a 160 score is passing. I am so glad that is over. And now since I am a crazy idiot I have enrolled to start my Masters program on January 10th. It is an acellerated program so I will be able to complete it by the second week of December 2009. Let the insanity continue!

Just waiting for the paper work to get done!

I am still waiting for the PLT test score. Once it posts I can get my bachlors degree finalized! Time is of the essence. If I get every t crossed and i doted before Jan 1st. I will get a $1,000 first year teacher bonus on my Feb. paycheck. If not I wave goodbye to the money forever! I just love paperwork!

The Final Count Down!

1 more night of school! Yipee! If I could still do them I would be doing cartwheels right now!

I took the PLT test on Saturday. If I pass this I am all done! If I didn't pass I have three years to get it right or no teaching for me. All I can say is I will be hopping mad at myself if I don't pass!

I feel like my load is getting lighter but the weight won't be lifted until I get the #%#@$%$%^@# test score!

Keep your fingers crossed for me, I will know in 4 to 5 weeks. (Nothing like dragging it out and creating olsers!)

I finally follwed through with something!

While I was waiting for the kids sheets to finish washing I decided to change the background on our blog. If eveything in life were this easy!

Almost Done

OK so Maybe I will get around to changing my background BEFORE Thanksgiving but who knows! I have 2 that's right count them one, two weeks left of school! Yippee! I have a huge test on the 15th. So keep your fingers crossed for me! Yesterday was Savanah's 10th birthday. They grow up so fast. We had a combine carnival type party for both Chance and Savanah yesterday. Boy am I glad that is over. Now we have the primary program in Church today. I sure am glad to have kids to keep me on my toes. I love em tons!

Boy has it been a while

Well like with all things I have had good intentions of keeping this updated. Wow it has been a long time. I have 25 students in my 4th grade class. They are all great kids. We just finished one of the funest units ever on rocks and minerals. ( I know it doesn't sound fun but it was a blast ) We are getting ready to start new units on soil and Native Americans.

BreeAnn, Savanah, and Chance all moved with me to Mountainville. They are really enjoying the new school. They would probably like it more if I didn't have the access to their teachers, they can't get anything past me now!

Kaylin is at Lehi Jr and having a great time socially and is even learning a few things when we can get her to put down the Japanese Anime! She has an appointment in a week to get her braces off.

BreeAnn will get to keep her braces for a while. When hers go off a set will go on for Savanah.

Oh the expensive things we do for our kids!

I am hoping that Chance will get to skip that opportunity but who knows.

On a personal note

Yesterday was my last day at American Express. It was harder than I thought it would be. I have met and become friends with so many people. It was hard to say goodbye, but it was time. I have one week off before I start full time at Mountainville Academy. We are planning on going to spend Mon-Fri and Grandma and Grandpa Leavitt's cabin with them. It should be tons of fun!

Have you ever been to a Dinosaur and Shark Party?

Well Chance has. He got to go to both parties on the same day for his cousins Ryan and Cameron. He had a blast and didn't want to come home. Savanah got to stay and play too. Thanks Amber for a way fun day!

Update on the 24th of July Pics

So it took me a while to get the pictures updated but they look good. When we got down to Kaylin and Ken in the balloon battle we knew it would take forever so we let all the other kids rush them. Kaylin's balloon popped first so........Ken the undisputed Balloon Battle Champion!

The Ballon Battle

Stick Pulling

Look at Our Family!

Pioneer Day!

We were able to get together with the Nielsen (My side) of the family and have a Pioneer Day party. It is always fun to get together with the family. To my count my parents have 17 grandchildren and in total we number 29. We had family pictures taken, had dinner and then played a few games. We were able to make pioneer yo-yo's, pin wheels, launch water rockets, stick pull, leg wrestle, and have a balloon battle. I hope everyone had as much fun as we did! I will update some photos as soon as I can get them downloaded.

Test Score

Yippee! I took my Praxis Elementary Content Knowledge test on June 14th and have been waiting ever since for the results. I got the envelope in the mail yesterday.

Drum roll please......................................................

Out of 200 possible I scored 178!
150 is required to pass.

Not bad for no study guide and prep. Now I just need to pass my Praxis Theorist test.
Next comes the question, "Do I really want to get my Master's Degree?"

A Career Change

I am starting a new job in August. I will be leaving my comfort zone. I have worked for American Express in Taylorsville for the past 7 years. I have been going to school for the last three years working on getting my teaching degree and it is finally paying off. I will be teaching at Mountainville Academy in Alpine Utah for the 2008-2009 school year.

This is what I have drafted for my bio on the school web-site:

My name is Lori Leavitt. I am very excited to be teaching at Mountainville Academy this year. I grew up in Lehi, Utah. I miss the days of my youth when Lehi was a small town, not the large city it has become. Even though I am not that old I remember the days when there were no stop lights in town, gas cost less than $1 a gallon, and Super Quality and Penny’s Variety store were the places to shop. I have a twin sister and am the fifth child of six.

My parents have had a strong educational influence in my life. My mother taught kindergarten until she decided it was time to stay home and raise a family. My father taught fourth grade for most of his teaching career and still substitute teaches today. (He says that he will stay in the classroom until he is forced to stay out!) I am excited to follow in his and my sister’s foot steps and teach the fourth grade.

I started college right after high school but put my career plans on hold to start my own family. I have a busy household consisting of my four children, three daughters and a son, our dog, and two guinea pigs. (If my youngest daughter has her way a couple of finches will soon be added.) I made a promise to my father and myself that I would complete my education once all of my children were in school, so once my son started kindergarten I enrolled at the University of Phoenix. He is now moving to the third grade and I have earned my bachelors degree. I look forward to a fun year at Mountainville Academy.