Fall 2016

I think 2016 may be the fastest year I've yet to experience! Before the last few days slip away I'll try to recap my last few months!

🍎✏️ SEPTEMBER ✏️🍎

There was a hockey game! Go Dinamo.... they actually played well and were in the lead. Until they weren't and of course that's how it ended. But we got this awesome selfie with the mascot! 

There was a fall festival. The fall festival actually. It's one of the bigger markets that happens and it's complete with crazy furry hats and adorable little booties for tiny toes! It doesn't sound like Charlotte would slow down long enough for these anymore!! 

There was a girls night. And another. Okay, there were probably a few. I also remember several brunches at various locations around Riga, my favorite being the Bagel place that is literally right behind my building! I've had a lot of bagels in recent weeks. I regret none of them. 

🍃🍂🍁 OCTOBER 🍃🍂🍁🎃

There was a break! From school at least. Grad school continued and so did the rest of life. I didn't plan to travel and instead offered to help a friend and take care of her dog while she toured Italy. Lulu and I had a fantastic week of walks in the park, rounds of fetch, and cuddling- my toes have never been so warm! 

Of course, Lulu likes a little adventure too. In the form of slipping her collar. As she had done this to Elizabeth a time or two, I picked up a harness for her hoping that would prevent any mishaps. But oh no! Lulu and I joined Bekah and her dog Bella on a mini road trip around Latvia. Our very first stop, Lulu managed to slip the harness and took off, first to the river, and then through the town, while I frantically chased behind cursing shouting for her to stop.  Once we caught her again, I made sure to check the harness Frequently. 

We ventured through Kuldiga, to see the waterfall. Then to Liepaja to check out the fort ruins and seaside. From there we followed the coast up to Ventspils and Kolka where the Baltic Sea and Gulf of Riga waters meet! It was fun to see the beaches around here and they reminded me a lot of some areas in Michigan.

And of course, Halloween rounded out the month. It's slowly catching here in Riga, but very slowly. A couple from the school did host a house party though, so I joined some friends and we all dressed as clowns. Sadly, we did not pull up in a tiny car. Maybe next time.

🍁☁️🌧🌨⛄️ NOVEMBER ☃️🦃💡

While my family celebrated their unusually warm temps, November rolled into Riga with a snowstorm! It wasn't too upsetting, the city is beautiful with a layer of white snow and somehow it feels like the snow makes it less cold. 

Months ago it was announced that Elton John would be performing in Riga. Yea, stranger things have happened, but this one seemed up there so we grabbed some cheap tickets. Plus, the arena here is quite small, so all the seats are pretty good. However, we did not consider the date very carefully. He performed on Tuesday night and Parent conferences were after school the next day! But again, how often do you have the chance to see Elton John perform in Riga. It was actually a really great concert.  Followed by two days of awesome conferences. 

Grad school was, of course happening during all of this, but I spend enough time on that (despite the vision presented in this blog) I didn't feel it required any more attention. It is going well though. Challenging me in ways and helping me to become a better teacher. I see connections frequently between what happened at school and our discussions or vice versa. Okay, enough about that :p 

After conferences ended we had a lovely friends-giving celebration!! It was a week early but coincided with Latvia's Independence Day, so it still felt like a holiday weekend! Most of which was spent grad-schooling, but there was also Staroriga going on!! There are several different light displays put up all throughout the city. Cool stuff to look at, but consistent with the trend since July, the weather was terrible! Cold, cold rain made the exhibits a little less enjoyable. Only a little though. 

Celebrating their hard work with
a disco-ball dance party

In grade 4, we wrapped up a unit about technology and innovation by sharing some of their knowledge at the elementary school assembly. The students worked in groups to produce little trivia games for everyone to play, they wrote scripts for themselves, and they totally ran the show! My job was to move the PowerPoint along, which was fine by me!

The next day they continued their awesome streak with the Invention Convention! Each student came up with an invention of some kind to present. We even had grade 5s and some parents fill in an investment form to see whose idea attracted the most attention. In the end, the "zero effort skates" (self-propelled roller skates) and the "bag n flag" (an automated kitty litter box) were the investor favorites. 

And now it's December! We've started learning about human rights, my second grad class is a few weeks away from being complete, we have more snow on the ground, I have Christmas music playing, and in 16 days I'll be back home again!! Just in time for Charlotte's first Christmas, Dylan's third birthday, and Pookie and Tara's wedding! 

..I'm pretty sure 2016 doesn't plan on slowing down now. Let's see how 2017 goes! 

Finding the balance

Near the end of last year I was finally starting to be okay going home at night and only doing a little work, or sometimes, not working at all. As a teacher, long hours are to be expected. And there were plenty of nights that required a few hours of work at home. But it was nice to take the occasional "night off." Same goes for the weekend. I could easily pack those 48 hours with reading and planning and prepping materials and gathering resources... easily. But I am finally learning to limit those times.

This year my goal has been to "do work at work." Meaning, minimal to no work at home. With the exception of weekends, of course. So far this year it's been working well enough. Granted, we are just getting into the all the material and true fourth-grade action.

As much I would love to say all this evening time has meant pursuits of new hobbies or that I have finally mastered something in the kitchen, instead the true motivation for the "work at work" is that I have started a grad program. So after I "work at work," I get to "grad school at home." And my weekends? They have been evenly divided; Saturday is for cleaning, laundry, and grade 4 stuff. Sunday is for grad school and grocery shopping.

So as long as I don't have anything else to do on my weekend, or really busy evenings, or really crazy times at work, this schedule will be perfect! .... hehe

The year really is off to a good start, though. I have 23 students - 14 boys and 9 girls. I haven't had such a boy-heavy, crazy energetic, always chatting bunch since my first year in Morocco. I have consistently been in bed and asleep before 10:15 each night, and believe me, that is as long as I can possibly hold my eyes open. This group is exhausting me in that positive teacher way. A few things about them:
They have big opinions and they are not afraid to share them.
They love to play games and question every rule while also accusing each other of cheating.
They love scary stories and suspenseful mysteries.
They love to dance. The crazier the tune and moves the better.
They are hot messes. Whoa man!
They are sensitive and young and can be sweet.

I am certainly beginning to love these kiddos. There are certainly a few with specific needs that will stretch me, frustrate me, confuse me, and challenge challenge challenge me. But that's also how I will grow. Regardless of how crazy, or frustrating, or silly they may be they are my students, my kiddos, my "friends" as I refer to them in class. And I am excited for all of us to find some balance in the year ahead.

HomeSweetMitten

School wrapped up and it was time to make the trip home once again for the summer season.

Instead of the normal flight through Frankfurt, I flew to Moscow and then to DC from there. I was attending a week-long training about Math. I don't have anything that exciting to share about the conference itself, but my time in DC did allow me to catch up with an old familiar face! Jon, a teacher I worked with in Morocco now lives in the DC area and we were able to go out and celebrate his birthday!

I was able to visit a few museums while in DC. First I went to the Newseum.... it was amazing! It's all about media and journalism. It had hundreds of front pages from all over the world, talked about freedom of the press and freedom of speech throughout history and the world today. Obe of our grade 4 units is all about Media and we use a ton of resources from this place. I wish I could take my kiddos there. It'd be totally worth it!

I also went to the air and space museum. I'd been there before and they definitely had some fun exhibits, but I mostly looking for the gift shop. I have a precious nephew that loves planes! I found a cute little gift for him and a few books as well because it's never too early for that!


Finally, Friday came around and it was time to fly home! That little plane enthusiast and my parents picked me up and then we stopped off to watch a few more planes do their thing. Dylan loved his plane, but I will pretend he loved seeing me even more ;)


So much was squished into what always feels like too short of a time. As lovely as it would be to travel more in the summer, I love spending that time with my family. And that is exactly what I did this summer!!


Nothing but zoo trips, buggy rides, pool parties, and family dinners. Lots of ice cream, baby snuggles, and laughter. We went to an air show, two zoos, two farms, a parade, and a couple shopping trips. We also celebrated Charlotte's baptism and her first time rolling over, as well as Dylan's half birthday (any excuse to spoil the child). I got to catch up with friends too, and I love doing that also!


The moments I treasure most are simple.
They are unplanned.
They may look like nothing special.
But those simple moments are the times that bring joy to my heart and tears to my eyes.


My family is so precious to me and I think the many miles in between us are teaching me to love them more and never take the moments I have with them for granted.

I am about to begin my fifth year living overseas. Sometimes it feels as though I've been gone longer, sometimes it feels like I never left. I am often asked when/if I will return, and honestly I have no clue. I've asked God many times, but he hasn't yet revealed that to me. And that's okay.


I don't know when (or if) this overseas life will end, but I do know that no matter where I am in the world, I am loved, I have a home, and I have a family... And I can't wait to see them again!

End of year happenings

Quick recap of some great springtime events: 

The students helped me out with a project for Kristine. They all posed with these amazing mustaches or glasses and it resulted in the cutest collage of kiddos ever. Perhaps it's more that I've been with these guys for two years now and have real feelings about how much they have grown, learned, challenged each other, and matured. They used to be like babies and now.... I have some really mixed emotions about getting a new group of children.

My golden birthday - turned 27 on the 27th. Celebrations included mint chocolate brownies for the staff, a delicious cake with grade 4, Indian food and beer fest with friends, and a fantastic pineapple with a face! 

In class we were doing our final unit about the human body. After reading a bit about the circulatory system and blood, we made our own blood models using Cheerios and food coloring. It was pretty awesome and quite disgusting, which makes it even more awesome in grade 4! The students also worked in groups to present on an activity and how it affects different systems in the body. They did an incredible job with the projects and even though they were specific to that unit, I felt like it was a culminating project in that it showed how much they have come with their presentation skills! Speaking of presentation, we also had the Spring Show. Grade 4 did a song about the respiratory system set to the music of a One Direction song.... It was fantastic. They also sang "all about the bass" like Meghan Trainor, except the lyrics were all about bass notes. It was adorable.

In a continuation of my birthday, we biked out to Jurmala. It was only like a three hour ride. Since Latvia has no hills, it really wasn't bad. Just hot. I still have tan lines from that trip. But it was worth it once we got out to the water. Bekah, Rorey, Cody, Shaun, Alyssa, and I all enjoyed a nice lunch and  then some drinks and naps on the beach. Plus a bit of volleyball. Then It was time to head back to Riga.... We opted for the train. :) 

Grade 4's end of year party. Oh my. There was a bit of drama in the planning of the party, but in the end, it was great. The kids had a great time and it didn't rain until it was time to leave and no one got hurt! Which is quite astounding given that the party included a climbing wall, ropes maze, slack line, trampoline, outdoor games and 33 sugar-crazed 10 year olds! The venue wouldn't have been my first choice, but again they all enjoyed it and that's really my biggest concern. 

I know there was a lot more in between those things, but I don't have as many photos of those. 

Volleyball

Just in case my backpack was starting to feel too comfy after all those trips, it was time to fly yet again. This time it was for the Middle school girls' volleyball tournament in Helsinki, Finland.

Last year the tournament was in Sofia, Bulgaria and required a long early morning journey. Helsinki, which is nearly straight north, was a short 45 minute flight!

Last year was also my first year coaching. It was certainly a learning experience for me and if I, honest, I wasn't thrilled about coaching again. Ieva agreed to coach again also and we divided up the commitment, making it a bit easier to come back. I was pleasantly surprised at the first practice when all the girls were ready (on time) and eager to get practice volleyball (as opposed to their flirting skills). Don't get me wrong, I get it, it's middle school and we had the girls and boys practicing together (small school struggles). But after spending all day with my kiddos that after school hour is precious time, and giving it up to a group that didn't care wasn't easy. But this year, it was totally different!

There was a solid group of 8th graders that traveled last year and returned again to lead the team. We had 14 girls sign up to travel but only 10 spots available. After a bit of drama over who made the cut and wanted to come, we had our team of 10- the six 8th graders and four 7th graders.

The team with
encouragement notes

These tournaments are really the only time the girls play a real game. We don't have local teams to compete against. At the same time, these tournaments are awesome! From a coaching standpoint, you do get to see the growth the girls go through individually and as a team. But it's also a great chance for the girls to meet and make friends with others and to see a new school/city/culture. And as a coach I get to live it up in a hotel for the weekend!

The tournament started on Friday, but due to space (more small school problems) our group had the city tour first. We ventured downtown for a bit and stopped for many photo ops - again, middle school girls. The tour included a nice little market along a harbor, where most girls filled up on waffles and chocolate. Then the tour ended with a stop at Starbucks. Starbucks is well known, but most girls were coming from places that don't have a Starbucks, like Riga.

You can see Ieva and I in the background
of this picture.... it perfectly captured us

Our games began after lunch and we faced the two toughest teams first. The girls came out strong and surprised the teams! We ended up losing both games but only by a small margin. And I felt it was a win because despite our loss, the girls stayed positive and into it- a huge improvement from last year.

Since the tournament was in May and it's now almost August, I have forgotten a lot of owe little details like scores and if we played three games on Friday or only two. But I do remember that the girls worked together in every game and, similar to last year, squeaked their way into a playoff game. This time it was for third place.

We won the first set by just a few points. Then started the second set with all the 8th graders out. Despite a lead, the other team came back and, by just a few points, took set two. By this time everyone was nervous and excited and the little gym was packed. Ieva and I couldn't help but laugh. we showed them the rotation and the rest was up to them. With a score of 13 to 15 we lost the final set and took fourth overall in the tournament.

They were of course bummed to have been so close to third place but I do believe most of them didn't come for the competition, they came for the chance to make friends and take more selfies than you could imagine. I'm surprised snapchat didn't break. We also got the sportsmanship award again. Which, although I wasn't excited about the giant trophy, is a nice award to receive.

Field trip

One if the first things students ask about are field trips! And this year was no different. What was different, was that all the trips Leigh and I discussed or tried to plan, fell through. We were feeling bad about the fact other classes were on their third or fourth field trip for the year and we had gone no where. We were also sensing a mini revolt being planned as their patience wore incredibly thin.

As our government unit went on, we decided a trip to Latvia's parliament would be fun  and fitting. The Latvian studies teacher was gracious enough to call and set up the times for us. But, as was often an issue last year, 35 kiddos was just too many. They needed to break us up into two groups. That's really not a big issue, but it does create the task of what to do while not touring the parliament. Thankfully the Saiema building (parliament) wasn't far from the castle or town hall. So we had a little scavenger hunt for the kids to complete when not inside and we prayed hard for decent weather!

Our wish came true and we had a perfect spring (nearly summer) day. The weather wasn't a problem but I did have a few kiddos forget their passports despite the (not kidding) 12 reminders I sent home and countless verbal reminders. A few early morning phone calls and we were all able to make it in. We even had an extra parent show up to join us!

My kids did the inside tour first. I have to confess, field trips are super fun for me too. At least trips like this with a tour guide. I get to turn my teacher hat around and learn with them too. It's awesome! I think they were more into the different couches, but they asked a few good questions as well. Then it was our turn to venture outside.

I love Riga's old town, but I still get lost down there sometimes. Thankfully all the roads lead to the same few spots so it's easy enough to hide. We went to the Town Hall building and the kids had several tasks like listing the different committees and finding certain dates. Town hall is situated on a decently sized square. The kids knew they needed to stay with their buddy but for the most part they were all zipping about the square from statue to fountain to wall while the parents and I looked on.

People frequently ask if I feel safe overseas and I never feel that people understand my answer. As I stood there watching 18 ten year olds run about in a main city square, my biggest fear was not kidnappers, creepers, or crazed killers. My biggest (potentially only) fear was that someone (including myself) would fall on the cobblestone. That was honestly the only worry I had.

Of course, I still follow news and am aware of things happening in the world and US, so I had a careful eye on all the pairs and people in the square. No one seemed bothered by them, no one complained, no one threatened. My kids weren't worried about any one causing harm to them, because at age 10 you shouldn't have to be. My kids got to be kids. And I got to watch them laugh and learn and explore knowing that we were safe and fine. Except for the cobblestones...

My students discovered a working fountain in the square center and everyone had to take a turn pushing the button and splashing the water (it was quite warm so I let it happen). Then we headed back to meet the other class for the bus trip home.

It was a beautiful day! And it was really nice to get out of the school. The students loved all of it and were thinking back on all the field trips they've done in their school career. It was nice to hear that this had been one of their favorites. I am going to pretend that opinion never changes. ;)

Escaping Riga

One of my good friends decided to celebrate his birthday by renting a cottage out in the countryside. Springtime in Latvia might be even more fickle than that of Michigan. So despite a warm week, the weekend forecast was looking chilly.


I rode out with Bekah and Meghan, and after a short "we are totally lost" moment, we found it! It was a big place and yet still very cosy!! We played some frisbee and ate a delicious dinner, then I alternated between the fire outside and the fire inside. Some of the guys braved the sauna and the freezing pond. Most of us were happy to enjoy what warmth we could find.



On Saturday we walked over the beach. Latvia's beaches remind me a lot of Michigan's coastlines. There was no one else around as we walked up and down and enjoyed the sound of the crashing water and bright clear blue skies. I found a big rock and took a little snooze. We had just wrapped up spring conferences and it was that time of the year when you can start to see and feel the end coming, but all the 'to-dos' are still there and weighing heavy. It took me a while to clear my head but I'm glad I had the chance to sit and be and process the year. 

Amsterdam

As if an entire week of planes, trains, and automobiles wasn't enough for the three of us, we booked a weekend hop over to Amsterdam the weekend after our return from Spring Break. We also had tickets to see Macklemore in concert there on Sunday night.

The beauty of living in Europe is that a weekend to a city like Amsterdam is totally doable! We left right from school on Friday and made it to Amsterdam for dinnertime. Our apartment was cute and conveniently located near several restaurants. The best part of our Amsterdam eats though was breakfast!! Rorey found an omelet place on Saturday, which I am not usually a big fan of but these omelets were amazing. Then we went to a yogurt bar another day. A little more my style and incredibly delicious!

I had signed us up for a bike tour because 1. I love bike tours and 2. It's Amsterdam! You have to ride a bike. We found the bike place and then killed some time exploring what was around. We stumbled past a shop displaying oreos, poptarts, and more in their front window and going in to see more was not even up for debate. The place had all kinds of American treats that haven't made their way to Latvia yet. Of course, they were all nearly the double the price you would pay in the states, but can you really put a price on mint oreos? (Apparently, yes. They were 8 euros.) We later discovered there were several of these stores throughout the city and we eventually stocked up on nerds, reeses, warheads, gum, and even oreos.

The bike tour was great! Bekah opted out because bikes in a PACKED city aren't her thing. There were times during the tour when I thought she had the right idea. People, bikes, cars, motorbikes, and tiny sidewalks make for a bit of a kerfuffle at times. But in the end, I loved it. Our guide was a bit new to the touring gig and would sometimes blast off ahead of the group. I think he also missed a stop or too and may have blanked on some info. But he was a cutie and even joined Rorey and I for the mid-tour break where he kindly answered all of our questions about life in Amsterdam.

On Sunday we had pre-booked tickets to the Van Gogh museum. Quick tip: book online ahead of time because that line was ridiculous! Same for the Anne Frank house- we couldn't even pre-book because those were sold out. The museum was nice. Again, packed full of people. I think Amsterdam might win for the most crowded place I've visited. It was really interesting to learn about his life and see so many of his pieces. I think I like the temporary exhibit on the other side of the museum  more though. hehe. It was about prostitution in French Art from 1850-1910. It explained who several of the women were and what life in the brothels and in general was like back then. I know it sounds odd, but the exhibit was actually really interesting.

After several photo ops, we had time to check out the Heineken Experience too. It was a quick trip through the brewery, I think Rorey and Bekah cared more about getting the free beers than anything really. Of course, they got mine as well, so that's an added bonus. Then it was back to the apartment for some dinner and then to the concert.

Rorey is a huge Macklemore fan and it was her dream and idea to go to the concert. We decided to go big and got the gold ticket. Little did we know that actually scored us front row spots! We were standing behind a guy during he opening acts and then just before Macklemore came out, he left and we quickly moved forward! Even knowing only a few of his songs, I really enjoyed the concert. He was a great entertainer and has lots of interesting stories to share. Plus, we were front row!

I wish I could say our amazing adventures continued on Monday morning, but after another phenomenal breakfast and some market shopping, I went back to the apartment to do some work. It was reports time and we had just finished a math unit. Not to mention this was the fourth consecutive weekend I'd been out of Riga. So, the last day wasn't as glamourous, but it was a great trip still.

Stop 3...

Munich! 

This great city was part of the Germany trip I did back in 2010 with Spring Arbor, but we were only there for a night. I knew way back then it wasn't enough time there, and so I was quite excited to be headed back!

We took the train again to get from Salzburg to Munich. Our apartment was a cute little studio in the university area. We ventured out for food and found legit and delicious Mexican just down the road. That sealed it --> Munich = awesome.

Then we continued to venture about passing a large art museum and just going where the sidewalks led us. Eventually we tired of walking and found a little bar to get some refreshments and Bekah taught Rorey and I how to play a card game. We went back out again for a bit more exploring and to find dinner.

Years ago I remembered going to Hofbräuhaus. It's a massive beer house near the city center. Terribly touristy, and yet still awesome. And, as is true for most of Germany, it has a pretty interesting past. So we each enjoyed a massive beer - I even liked mine! - and some dinner. The place is always busy and the idea is you sit where you can. We lucked out and found a spot next to frequent patron. Rorey still refers to him as the owner, but I'm not sure that was his true title. He spoke almost no English and our German was nonexistent, so we used pictures, google translate, and a lot of thumbs up to have a lovely conversation.... we think.

The next day our wandering lead us to a walking city-tour which was awesome! Most larger European cities have walking tours that are informative and fun and Free! Probably the best part. I may not speak the language, but my roots are still German. hehe.  The tour guide had a huge heart for the city and shared tons of stellar information with us, like how nearly the entire city appears to be old, but is largely just amazingly-detailed reconstructed buildings because WWII.

We shopped, and ate pretzels, wandered, and drank, and ate pretzels and then ate more pretzels because they are so gosh darn delicious! I also found what may be the best souvenir I will ever give to Dylan- A rubber duck wearing lederhosen and holding a pretzel and beer. I love it! Charlotte got one as well- it's also a rubber duck, but it's wearing a dirndl (think traditional dress) instead.

The next day we headed out of the city a bit to explore the VW museum and old Olympic park. The weather was a bit bland and chilly, so it was a nice morning to be inside. The museum was really nice and it was fun to see the evolution of the brand throughout time. Not to mention we got to sit on some really cool motorcycles.

Venturing across the street we headed to the top of the Olympic Tower. Again it was quite cold, and super windy at the top. The slight sway we felt was enough to make it a rather quick visit. Despite the swaying, the views were impressive.
It was nice to see that they are attempting to use the various venues as much as possible. One arena was converted into a soccer zone and right outside was putt-putt! I love putt-putt, so we gave it a go. I don't remember who won, although I am quite sure it was not me.


I am so glad I was able to get back to this great city. And I kind of hope I get to at least once more!