School Days

My goal this school year has been to not take any sick days. My students have even said, "Mrs. Gifford, all of my teachers have been absent this year except you." To which I respond, "That's right...I'll be here EVERYDAY of your life!!!!!"

Well, last week, the learning strategist at my school asked if I could request a sub for Tuesday of this week and sit in on special education meetings all day. I quickly jumped at the opportunity because I can use all of those hours for my admin class. Unfortunately this breaks my promise to my students of being in class everyday, so I decided to use my technology skills to put together a video. Brinley Middle School Students have been notoriously bad for substitutes. I used to be a sub, so I know the horror that can come from the little angels. I decided my students needed some real incentives for good behavior. Watch and see.

Thanksgiving

For Thanksgiving the last couple of years we have gone to visit Chris' grandparents in Cottonwood, AZ. This year was even more special because Ruth & Hall were celebrating their 50 year anniversary. 50 years...holy crap! Well, we had a great time. All of Chris' family, aunt, uncles, and cousins were there to celebrate. We had a lot of fun outdoors which included hiking, the Thanksgiving dinner itself, and a 5/10K. We already can't wait for next year.

In other news, Amy and I completed our first ever 10 mile run! We finished in 1 hr 38 minutes and I'm still a little sore. I'm not quite sure how I'm supposed to run 3 more miles after that, but I guess I'll just work up to it. My mom was kind enough to supply us with water the whole time and take some great photos! Well, the countdown for Christmas break starts now! 10 more work days...woohoo!

Is it Really already November 17th?

I know, I know... I have been a major blog slacker within the last month. I've just been so busy doing that I haven't had time to sit down and write about it. See the list below for all of the fascinating events of this month!

1. I completed another tri. It was on October 17th and I did ok. I took 5th place in my age group, but it was a good way to end the season.

2. Last Saturday I ran a 10K. I took first place in my age group at this race. So what if there were only two people between the ages of 20-24 that ran... I still got an award. Amy and I are going to try to run a 1/2 marathon by March 27th. Running is just an easy was to stay in shape when you don't have a lot of time.

3. Chris turned 24...what an oldie. He also got a job offer at CVS pharmacy. He plans on working there upon graduation.

4. I was appointed National Honor Society advisor at Brinley Middle School. For my masters program in admin, I'm required to get a total of 300 hours in administrative duties, my principal thought it would be a good way for me to complete a lot of them. I'm a little stressed out because being a club advisor requires a TON of resources and TIME...time that I don't really have. I'm going to give it my best shot.

5. Poor Nadi girl got spayed. She had a cone around her head for about a week. Luckily, she's healed up fine and is back to her normal self. I can't believe she's already 7 months. They grow so fast.

That's all for now. 9 days until Thanksgiving!!!

Halloween fun

Happy Halloween from Homer & Marge Simpson

Nadi Graduates!

I have been an extremely lazy blogger these days.  I keep looking at other blogs thinking that I should write out a new post, but I just haven't had the time and frankly when I do get time I just want to lay on the couch and veg.  That is what the 7th grade will do to you.  7th grade is filled with ups and downs.  Some days I'll come home so physically exhausted and I’ll think that it’s too much work, and the next day I'll come home thinking I'm making a difference.  The best thing about teaching middle school is that you get to catch them before it's too late.  When I taught high school seniors, I felt like I was sending them out into the real world whether they were ready or not.  I really think my time at Brinley thus far has been well spent.  I feel like I'm lighting a fire under their butts and making an impression on their lives before it's too late. 

Anyway, last week for my admin maters project I had to create a power point for the “staff of my school” for a professional development day.  I decided that teachers at Brinley fill out too much paper work.  We look at test scores and data analysis all of the time, and sometimes it’s hard to remember why we do it all.  We forget that the kids are our first priority.  Below you’ll find a video of my students and their opinions of great teachers.  They're actually pretty entertaining. 

In other news, Nadia graduated from her training class.  Being a teacher, I know how important school is, so her next training class starts October 31^st.  We’re enrolling her in agility training.  I think she’ll be pretty good at it and it’ll keep her on her toes. I snuck my camera in to post a few clips of her in action.

I also cut my hair within the last week…. it’s pretty drastic.  I’ve heard it all from my

 students.  When you’re 12 years old you just don’t have a filter yet.  Some of their comments included, “WHAT DID YOU DO?” and “HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO GROW   BACK??” or “You just had such pretty hair BEFORE.” “You look kind of like my mom.”  Well, I’m finally getting used to it, and it’s been pretty functional for my training.  My next tri is on October 17^th. It’s going to be pretty tough…I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

Lake Las Vegas

What a day.   At 5:30 AM the tri club moseyed on over to Lake Las Vegas for our very first triathlon as a group.  I was surprised by how exciting the atmosphere is on race day.  Everyone is a little nervous and excited.  After setting up our transition area we went to check out the first heat of swimmers.  We watched as one swimmer finished his mile swim faster than I can do my 1/2 mile, but we were also comforted by the couple of back and side strokers we saw.  

The guys got to take off first.  Grayson and Greg looked neck and neck, but the ladies started  before we could really get a good idea of where they were.  As soon as the bullhorn sounded we were off!  And when I say we, I really mean Kristin was off... far ahead in the distance.  She finished her swim 2-3 minutes before our entire heat.  

About 10 minutes later....

 I finally exited the water.  When I got to the transition area, I panicked a little when I saw that my entire groups' bikes were GONE and I realized that I was the last one.  The biking portion of the race was pretty similar to the course we had been training on.  I did get a little smile on my face every time I passed a guy on my bike.  

When I got back from the ride, I hurried on over to the transition area.  The run is usually where I can gain some time on everyone.  I frantically threw on my shoes, buckled my number, and I was off.  About two second later I hear Eddy yelling, "HELMET.... YOU'RE STILL WEARING YOUR HELMET!!"  Whoopsie.  

The run was TOUGH.  We trained on flat asphalt.  This was an unpaved, hilly, brutal 3 mile run. 

 Normally when we train, I can see exactly where Amy is.  This time I couldn't see her until about mile 1, and when I did see her she was about 100 yards ahead of me.  When we got to mile 2, I had gained a little ground, but my energy was all but depleted.  At last, as we're rounding the final corner, I get within 10 yards of her.  I can hear the crown screaming, and the announcer yells into the mike, "It's a race to the final finish.  Here comes Amy Gearin and Tracy Gifford is right behind her.  Tracy is sprinting to the finish line, but will it be enough?"  

      Well, it wasn't enough.  Amy ended up beating me by one hundredth of a second.  Maybe I'll get her next time.  

Kristin ended up taking 5th place overall and 1st place in her age group.  She's a beast, and I'm glad she got us all into tri training.  Amy and I both took 2nd place in our age group.  The boys did well, but the competition was just a hair stiffer.  All in all, it was a great experience.  Chris, Nadi, and Eddy cheered everyone on the whole time.  It will be something I'll never forget, and I have a sweet little medal and plaque to prove it!  

Mrs. Gifford's 1st day of School

Wow!  The last couple of weeks have been crazy for me.  I finally got the keys to my classroom about 3 weeks ago, so I had Chris and Grayson help me with the heavy lifting, and my mom and Jamie with some decorating to get the final product!  My room has been a hit at Brinley Middle School, and all of our hard work has actually paid off!  What would I do without my family?  See the video below for a virtual tour.  Since the new teachers got to go back early, I have been waiting for my students to show up since August 12th.  Well, today they did, and I must admit.... I really like them for the most part.  Who knows?  Middle school might just be right where I belong.  They were a little squeamish and I could do with a little less giggling, but I would say that the first day was a success.  I also signed up for my master's program last week.  It's an 18 month program in administration through Touro University.  Hopefully I'll be able to handle changing the world through 7th graders, maintaining the world's smartest dog, and getting my master's degree.  This is definitely going to be a busy year.  

Unfortunately, because of all the work I've been doing, this has left me a lot less time for training.  I really have to make an effort to get my tri training in.  It's 3 weeks away, so I can't let up now!  

Chris has officially started his final year of pharmacy.  He's been interning at Walgreen's the past few weeks and I love not having to watch him study 24/7.  Now I get to watch him strategize for his fantasy football team 24/7.  I don't know what he's going to do when he finishes school!  

In other news, Nadi has continually wowed everyone at obedience school.  She's a star!  This last week she was running through tunnels and jumping hurdles.  The trainers say she's one of the smartest puppies they know.  You should see Chris beaming at class.  We're not supposed to bring anything to class except her leash and treats, so no videos.  I'll try to sneak one in on the last week.

That's all for now!  I'll keep you posted.

Before Picture:

Lake Mead

As the triathlon gets closer, we've been stepping up our training a bit.  Last Saturday we did a "Mock Tri" at Lake Las Vegas.  We swam in the lake (which is a lot harder than swimming in a pool, by the way), we did a 13 mile bike ride and a 3.7 mile run.  It's refreshing to know that we can all actually finish the course.  However, we all would like to improve our times before the actual race on September 12th.  Next Saturday we're going to do the same race to see if we've improved.  

While Kristin, Amy, Grayson, and I were doing the tri, Chris, Eddy, and Jamie were on babysitting duty with Nadi.  Poor Nadi, she hasn't had the best of luck these last couple of days.  After the triathlon, she puked up a bunch of sea shells, rocks, and dirt.  Then today, she got in the way of our running workout and Chris accidently stepped on her....hard!  She's been limping around all day.  Hopefully we don't have to take her to the vet.  We're keeping an eye on her. 

 

In other news, Nadi has started obedience school at Petsmart.  She's been enrolled in the intermediate class, because she knows all of her basic tricks already.  The dogs in the class are a lot older than her and Nadi doesn't exactly have the longest attention span.  There's a german shepherd in the class that can jump through a hula hoop when it's about 4 feet in the air, and catch a ball on his way down.  It's pretty impressive, and here I thought little Nadi's "speak" trick was so cool.  

I start working on August 12th, just about a week away.  I'm starting to get a few lessons together, but I'm just having too much fun this summer!  Last summer, I was bored by August.  My last day at Applebees is on Friday.  Everyday I come home from that job I'm always grateful that I went to college.  It's pretty tough work and I'm not at all impressed by how much people tip.  I waited on a table the other day that had a $90.00 bill and they tipped me $5.00!!  I secretly wanted to go back to the table and explain how they should calculate a tip.  I guess it's the teacher in me.  I'll try to get Nadi on camera doing some sweet tricks this next week. 

 She's growing fast!  She weighs a whole 24 pounds now!

Weekend with the Grandmas

I love San Diego.  I love how you don't have to get up at 5:00 AM to do something active.  I love how 85 degrees is scorching to the locals.  

Chris and I had the opportunity to take a quick weekend trip to Cali with 3 other couples.  We went Kayaking, which was pretty fun (except for the motion sickness part), we went to see a Padre's game, and rented beach cruisers and rode our bikes up and down Mission and Pacific beach.  It was so dang fun that I forgot all about taking pictures...whoops!  I can't wait for our next vacation!  

While Chris and I were having fun in SD, Nadi stayed the weekend with her grandmas.  She got to spend lots of time with Toby and Tink and she loves my mom's pool.  When we finally brought her back home she was a little bored with just Chris and me, but she did seem excited to see us!

In other news, I officially have a job with CCSD!!  7th grade...here I come!  I also got a new road bike (see picture below)!  I still have to get a couple accessories for it, but I'm way faster and it's very pretty.  Our tri training is still ongoing and I think I'm picking up some speed!

  Below are a few pictures of Nadi on her weekend get-a-way.

Triathlon Training

While Nadi has been busy training to be a good dog with some snazzy tricks, I decided I needed to do some training of my own.  These last couple of weeks, my sister-in-laws and I, have been training for a Triathlon.  I'm actually really excited about it.  We are doing a 64 mile bike ride in August and our Tri is in September.  Lately, we've been doing a lot of bike riding (we joined a bike club) and we just started swimming.   A couple of Saturday's ago, Kristin (my sister-in-law, pictured above) and I decided to do the Boulder City loop bike ride. This ride is about 35 miles and it's pretty intense.  The ride connects with US-93.  I've become very familiar with this highway, and there's a couple of things I can tell you about it.  The pavement is hot and rocky, and if you're going 20 miles an hour and try to get on the sidewalk you could end up looking like road kill.  Below are pictures of the injuries from my first bike wreck.  That's right....war wounds.       

     

The rest of our summer has been flying by.  Chris has been doing a lot of golfing lately and we attended a really fun wedding last week.  I'm also expected to sign my official contract with the School District in 3 weeks. Hopefully all goes well!

Nadi's still doing fantastic with all of her tricks.  She's really starting to grow fast!  For the 4th of July we took her to a pretty big party, where she got lots of socialization!!  Grandma had to rock her to sleep to get her to calm down.

Hope you enjoy Nadi's latest video!

Adventures with Nadia

I can't believe it's already the end of June!  The summer is slipping away quickly.  Applebee's has been good to me.  I actually really like working as a server, but I never knew how hard they worked!!  I have a new found appreciation for waitresses and I'm already a bigger tipper!  However, it's not exactly my dream career.  I love teaching, and I'm already starting to miss it.  I am still in limbo, waiting to sign a contract from the Clark County School District for a job at Brinley Middle School.  If I get that job I will be teaching 7th grade U.S  and Nevada history.  I'm a little nervous about teaching 11 and 12 year olds.  I really enjoy high school kids, but I'm sure it will be fine.  Volleyball has started back up, which means that Chris has officially become the stay at home Dad.  I'm not sure how much he likes it.  Watching Nadia is a full time job.  She goes everywhere with us, and she's getting more and more energy!  We keep thinking... when is nap time again?   A lot of time I come home to find them both fast asleep together.  Above is a picture of Nadi crashing hard at Grandma's house after a full day of playing in the yard.  She did get her second set of shots this week and she's almost 10 pounds!  If you have a pet, Lied Animal Shelter is the place for shots!  They're a lot cheaper than the vet if you don't mind waiting, and they spay and neuter for $60.00.  

http://www.liedanimalshelter.org/

 

Hope you enjoy the most recent video of Nadia's play dates.

Practice Makes Perfect

This week Chris has been doing a lot of training with Nadia and she's doing pretty well.  Potty training is going a little better.  We hung bells next to the door that we ring every time Nadi goes outside to potty.  Now, Nadi rings the bells if we don't let her out.  It's a pretty cute trick and very convenient!  She did a lot of socializing this week.  We went to a graduation party and I think Nadia stole the show with all her cute tricks.  She also met Charlie, Toby, and Tink (puppy playmates).  She's still a little too small to play with Charlie and Toby, but I'm sure she'll be their size in no time.  She has gotten a lot more lively since we got her and chewing is her new favorite thing.  The picture to the right is of Nadia licking her peanut butter Popsicle.  She loves it!  She's also gained 2 pounds since we got her.  Hope you enjoy the video below of Nadia's latest training session.

Busy Week!

         Lots of things have happened since we picked our little Nadi up last Saturday.  First, Chris finished up his first rotation in year 3 (the FINAL year!) of pharmacy school.  Now he has a break for 8 weeks.  He doesn't return to school until August 18th, which means he'll have plenty of time to train the new pup.  Below you'll see a couple clips of Nadia's new tricks.  She can now sit, down, stay, come, shake, and she's learning speak and roll over.  She still has a pretty short attention span, so we think she's doing well.  She had her first bath this week, and I'm not sure how she feels about the water.   Chris has also started walking her.  If we could only get this potty training thing down!!  Nadia has also visited grandma's house and loves the backyard!  

         I've started a new job working as a server at Applebee's.  I've been training this week and I think I'm really going to like it.  Nothing like a few extra bucks for the summer!  

Welcome

Alright...

I have officially decided to join the blogger world.  Chris and I usually have nothing that special going on, however we just got a brand new puppy!  We have been complete nerds over this dog and have done lots of research on our new golden retriever, so I have decided to do some blogging on her training.  I'm going to try to post an update every week.  Hopefully this will keep me committed to training!  School is out, which means summer is here and I have some extra time on my hands to make cute videos of my new pup.  Her name is Nadia by the way, and we just got her on Saturday.  She is 7 weeks old and we're pretty proud of her progress thus far.  She hasn't had too many accidents inside the house and we just can't get enough of her!  On Sunday she met her cousins Burton and Annie and another puppy Tonka. I'm sure that she'll have lots of play dates, because we have a lot of friends with dogs.   See the video below for a quick glimpse of Nadi's progress.

Training Nadia