Thursday, December 15, 2011

It’s the Season of Giving

I’ve been feeling so happy this holiday!

Trader Joe’s is part of our weekend routine. It seems every Saturday we pop on down to T.J’s armed with our large re-usable shopping totes and smiles on our faces. We pick up a few staples, but what we really get excited for are their featured products. We picked up some Chocolate Covered Joe Joe’s (their version of the Oreo), and these sinfully delicious Fig Truffles.

The holidays always seem to bring out my crafty side, and this holiday I have managed to pick up a few new techniques to add to my “craft skills” resume. This year, a student of mine actually taught me how to make paper flowers through the art of origami. I had an inspiration to make these flowers and use them as bows on my Christmas gifts this year. Zack and I went hunting for origami paper at all of the local craft stores…..but origami paper is expensive! And I was really looking for holiday colors, which they just didn’t seem to carry. We came home and I was feeling pretty upset returning empty handed…….and then…….I had an idea! I used wrapping paper!

Here’s what they look like;

I also made these cute little Santa brownies for my co-workers. Aren’t they adorable?

Zack and I went to drop off our donations for the family we adopted from an abused deaf women’s shelter the other day. It warmed our hearts to do this special thing for this family. We walked away feeling as if we were lifted up on a cloud and having a deep desire that we could do more. And this Saturday we are meeting another family we adopted through a wounded soldier program. We had such a wonderful time shopping and picking out items to give to these families that we ended up enjoying shopping for their needs more than our own families. It helped us reflect on what is important during the holidays; family, friends, security, and a sense of feeling safe and loved. 

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Happy December

I’ve been having such a great month so far. I feel so thankful and blessed. Zack and I have adopted two families this holiday. We spent the past weekend shopping and gathering items off the families “wishes/wants lists”. Shopping for clothes for a two year old girl was so much fun, and I didn’t hate the clothing selection for young boys either. We really hope we give these families a beautiful Christmas this year.

The month of December is short but so busy. Our students have been making stained glass pictures as gifts for their parents. It has been an interesting project. I have never worked with glass paints before but it was simple enough. The difficult part was the glass leading; some students struggled to keep a steady hand. Overall though, I think parents will be thrilled to see their lovely holiday gifts.

I gave an excellent history lesson this week. I put together an informative Power Point presentation on the Islamic invasion of Spain. The students learned about Tariq Bin Ziyad and his powerful army. I found this great video that I also played for the students. Afterwards, we played a trivia game to check for students understanding and comprehension of the information. Students were so successful and this makes me smile. I can’t wait to give next week’s history lesson.

Yesterday, we dressed our little doggies up in cute holiday outfits and had an informal photo shoot. It was pretty fun and we captured some really sweet pictures.




The best part about December though is….WINTER BREAK. Next week is the last week of school and then I get a lovely 2 weeks of free time. We are heading home for the holidays! HOORAY! Can’t wait to see family. 

Monday, December 5, 2011

Happy Holidays 2011



Happy Holidays,
We had another exciting year full of changes. We moved back to Seattle! After leaving Seattle in 2009, we knew we had made a mistake and it would only be a matter of time before we would return.
In early spring, I was contacted by my former employer and they offered me a full time teaching position in the upper elementary at Woodinville Montessori School. In the summer I was enrolled in an intense Montessori credentials program. I'll continue this for the next 3 summers and walk away with my Montessori Teaching credential. I'm so excited and passionate about Montessori teaching and enjoy being a lifelong learner and dedicated educator.
We have also had a great year bonding with family; from backyard BBQ’s, birthday parties, and one pretty wild St. Patty’s Day, it has been a wonderful year to reflect on. One particular celebration that should be mentioned is the exciting news of my brother Mike’s engagement to his long time girlfriend Taelor. We are so excited to see those two get married!
Prior to the start of the Montessori training; we treated ourselves to some incredible adventures.  In April we made a trip down the Pacific Coast Highway from Seattle to Los Angeles. We camped along the Oregon and California beaches and let the waves lull us to sleep every night. We enjoyed hot clam chowder in sourdough bread bowls at Splash Café in Pismo Beach, Danish pancakes at Paula’s Pancake House in Solvang, and fresh beer on tap at the San Pedro Brewing Company in San Pedro, CA.
In San Pedro, we met up with Zack’s parents and hopped on a cruise ship to Mexico. We had an amazing suite with floor to ceiling windows that we spotted dolphins out of several times during our trip. We enjoyed first class dining and round the clock service from our personal butler. We truly felt like royalty.
At the end of May we headed out for a month long music festival road trip. We headed to the Sasquatch Music Festival at the most beautiful venue in the world, The Gorge in Central Washington. We spent the 4 days camping at the Wildhorse campground. It was pretty chilly at night but we were thankful for that because our next festival would treat us to severe heat conditions.
From Sasquatch, we drove 2,381 miles to Manchester, TN for the Bonnaroo Music Festival. This would be our second time at Bonnaroo and we were more prepared than ever. We took 2 weeks to drive there and stopped at some amazing places along the way. We went to Mt. Rushmore, the Badlands, Mall of America, Lambeau Field, Gateway Arch in St. Louis, and the Gaylord Opryland Hotel in Nashville.
When we arrived at Bonnaroo it was HOT! We spent 4 days sweating in the humid Tennessee heat listening to some great bands; My Morning Jacket, Arcade Fire, Buffalo Springfield, Gogol Bordello, Matt & Kim, Childish Gambino and far too many more to name. We walked away feeling like survivors; having braved the heat , the crowds, the dust storms ,an awkward experience with Ron Jeremy, and the miles we walked daily. Bonnaroo will surely be missed. 
Upon leaving the festival we maneuvered our way back West. We made a stop in New Orleans where we walked Bourbon Street, ate beignets, listened to jazz at Preservation Hall and took a Cajun cooking course. We then headed to Houston and had a lovely but short visit with Zack’s grandmother, aunt, uncle and cousins. It was great seeing family during such a long trip. Next we headed to Dallas to see Dealey Plaza and the Book Depository Museum. We walked through Carlsbad Caverns and passed through Scottsdale till we reached Las Vegas. We spent a few days at the Vdarra Hotel and Spa in an incredible suite overlooking the Bellagio fountains unwinding from all of the driving we had done.
At the end of summer, we took one more final trip; we went to Southern California with my brother and his fiancé, Taelor. We toured Hollywood, cruised through Beverly Hills, enjoyed the world’s best breakfast at Griddle Café, walked the beaches of Santa Monica, scarfed down chicken and waffles at Roscoe’s and of course visited Disneyland/ California Adventure.  It was a great trip with memories to cherish.
The start of the school year was exciting for me as I was able to start putting my Montessori training to practice. In this school year, I organized a strong Geography curriculum in my classroom with a focus on Europe. My students created a 5’x5’ topographical map of Europe using Model Magic to construct land and water forms that really made the map pop. I also facilitated the school’s Halloween party and it was a huge success. I also helped the students build a Haunted Maze in the multi-purpose room and put together 7 organized games, a cupcake walk, and an army of parent volunteers. I'm definitely looking forward to introducing some new and exciting materials to the classroom during the remainder of the school year.
Looking back on this year we reflected on how much we have accomplished and the journeys we had made. In the upcoming year we look forward to making more unforgettable memories and spending time with our two dogs Roxy and Peanut. We wish for all of our family and friends a blissful new year that they too will use to celebrate and create new memories of their own.
                        Love,
            Zack and Patricia Martens