(Almost) Perfect Praxis!

I've taught for nearly 10 years, and never before had to take the Praxis test as part of my state credentialing. So I was pretty miffed when I learned that to transfer my CA credential to a UT one, I would have to take this test (and spend $130 to do so!).

I took the exam a month ago, and was super bugged because the test, which was scheduled to begin at 7:30 am, didn't actually start till 8:30. Not because they were late -- that happened at the GRE testing place last week!! -- but just because they combined about 20 different tests into one room, and so the administration took forever. Then they said we couldn't leave until the 2 hours were through (even though I finished 1/2 hour early). I was so bugged -- we had planned to go to the Arts City Days Parade together but instead I was 1.5 hours later than I thought I'd be! -- that I wrote a letter. The response came yesterday. Half of it doesn't even address what I wrote. The ETS administrators would fail their own standardized writing assessments, which say, in effect, no points will be given for answering the wrong question.

But enough grumbling (though I will write another letter or two to follow up on these things!). Today I saw my Praxis score on the English Language, Literature, and Composition exam. 200 out of 200! I didn't answer flawlessly (62 out of 66, 17 out of 18, and 36 out of 36 in the three sections), but still I guess it translates to a "perfect" score. Yippee!!

Am I bragging too much? Sorry!

Still Behind on Blogging!

Keep coming back! I have 4 or 5 posts that will go up one of these days. Ballstaedt Reunion on the 4th, Hogle Zoo & Oquirrh Mountain Temple open house, St George with the Atkissons, even a few more on Ohio at Meta's! So sorry to be a slow-poke.

Done with the GRE

I've spent far too much time of late preparing to take the GRE, which I did this morning. The last time I took the GRE was in 1996, so if I want to apply to the Comparative Studies MA program at BYU (still not sure how I'll take classes, but perhaps little by little), I needed to retake it.

The portion that mattered least (Quantitative) stressed me out a lot. I got by with one statistic class in college to count for my math requirement. Though math was my favorite subject in 8th grade, I got turned off by precalc (junior year), in part because of two years of "boys club" type teachers (I don't talk sports!), in part because I was doing too much and would fall asleep in the back of the class every day sophomore year, to be woken by my friend Cisca Mok as she left the room! (I still got an 89.4 in the class, but the teacher -- understandably -- wouldn't round up to an A-.)

The Analytical writing task scared me, too. I'm a strong writer, but on some of the topics my mind drew a blank. I made Taylor talk through 5 or 6 topics an evening for a few weeks. It really helps to be married to brilliance!

In the end, I did fine. I'm still waiting to hear how I scored on the Analytical; if I didn't overstep by adding a 4th argument (that even in art, "facts" -- perspectival painting -- can be altered through the tricks of anamorphosis. All ideas from my "Theology of Painting" class), then I think I kicked some "behind."

So glad that it is done!

David's "Work"

My sister Sara was telling me that her friend, whose kids go to a Montessori School, said that using the term "work" with kids can help them better understand what a peer is up to -- and thus not grab their toy away. When David grabbed Jasper's toy (or vice versa), Sara would explain to David that Jasper was working on the toy, and that we should find other work for David. I guess the idea behind the theory is that, for kids, playing really is their work! They can conceptualize that another kid is also working, and thus should be allowed to retain the toy their are playing with.




In any case, David loves "working" on his train! We purchased a train table off of Craigslist (funny -- when I arrived at the home in Draper where it was being sold, I found that the woman I had corresponded with via email is married to an old Stanford Ward friend, Erik Oh! He helped me arrange everything to fit comfortably into my Honda Civic).




On the first day, David played with it non-stop. It has since lost some of its novelty, but he still loves it. Fun to see him captivated by something!

Egberts in Town!

Sara, Rob, and their boys Jasper and Gideon have been in town for an Egbert Reunion. Luckily, they broke away from the festivities to spend two nights with us, and have dinner tonight with us, too. Also, they invited us to join in an Egbert campout, so we drove up to Tanner Flat in the Little Cottonwood Canyon for the evening. (We didn't try to camp for the night, though.) David has been talking about marshmallows ever since!

I didn't take a ton of photos (Sara, do you have any?). Above is my beautiful sister Sara with her little Gideon. Below is Jasper -- greatest hair ever! -- playing at David's new train table. (Jasper being the alpha male, David actually acquiesced to share!)

Big Boy Bed(room)

My parents gave us a matching bedroom set (used at one point in their lives by all the Rampton sibs): two twin bed frames and mattresses, a desk set with glass cupboard, and a chest of drawers. David moved out of the crib to the “big boy bed”! It was unsettling for him for the first day, but now he loves it. It’s not raised very high, so he can climb in and out of bed easily.




One naptime, he decided to play in his room rather than nap. I heard a loud yelp and crying. He had shocked himself on his nightlight! Poor guy! We think he has learned the lesson about not touching the outlets – hopefully there won’t be a repeat.

Picture is actually sideways;
David was lying on his bed with his cute BYU baseball cap on.

My parents also gave us my old Raggedy Ann doll, and Raggedy Ann & Andy rug. David loves the doll, especially since he thinks it is crying (due to the stitching under her eyes). He comforts it regularly (and it distracts him while he gets his diaper changed, something he hates!).

Student Once More

I'm taking one class this summer at BYU. It's nice to have free tuition because of Taylor's work there!

So I decided to sign up for "The Theology of Painting", a course in the Humanities Department. If I do do the Comp Studies MA (slowly, bit by bit), this can count towards it.

I've had trouble keeping up with the reading, since I've been trying to study for the GRE. Some of the readings are highly academic, the kind of writing that should be illegal (lol) and which I haven't had to read for 10 years. But it's also fun to have my brain stretched in this way.

After class and before I run to pick up David, I usually drop by Taylor's office. So nice to see him mid-day!

Diamond Canyon & Hot Springs

We made a hike up the Diamond Fork Canyon, part of the Spanish Fork Canyon, to some hot springs.












The day was too hot and the sulfur smell too strong for us to feel like getting into the hot water, but the hike was gorgeous and the waterfall refreshing!












Taylor enjoys photographing nature, and caught some great shots:

Approved to Adopt!

Finally, after 10 months of waiting (because of our move and the legal loopholes in two states), we're approved to adopt through LDS-Family Services. This means our profile can be put out before birth parents. Hopefully someone will want us!

You can click on the link above, or find us by searching using first names. Or just use this exact address: https://itsaboutlove.org/ial/profiles/21713802/ourMessage.jsf . I write all this so that you can help us spread the word, and lead others to our profile!

On My Mind: The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really loved this book. Although the letter format frustrated me for the first few pages, before I had characters sorted out, I soon grew to love hearing the different voices and conversations through the letters.

WWII has always been of interest to me -- I read Corrie Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place" at least three times as a child; I focused on t Ie main character, and of Elizabeth McKenna, who is never there but always there. I liked Dawsey a lot, too, so the ending made me happy.

My book club doesn't discuss this for several months; hopefully I'll get Taylor to read this soon so I can talk to him about it!

View all my reviews.