UCET 2010

I've been involved with the UCET conference for the past seven years. The first year I was a participant. Then I was a presenter for five years. The past couple of years I've been a member of the Board. Each year I am amazed at the wonderful teachers we have across the state of Utah. They are so willing to learn and try new things in their classes. With little to no money, they still look for ways to improve their teaching and help their students learn. Attending and presenting at conferences is one of the many ways teachers give to our kids.

Our attendance at UCET was fantastic this year. With out of state travel eliminated for many school districts, in state conferences are at a premium for professional development. UCET is one of the best options for the money and the teachers came in droves. We had over 1200 participants, making this the largest UCET ever.

I spent most of my time running around and helping out where I could. Being on the Board means less teaching, and more grunt work. Hanging posters, cleaning messes, directing traffic, and basic troubleshooting are all part of the agenda. Still, I was able to teach in one of the spotlight session and had a great time. I love the energy in the larger sessions and it was great to share some new resources with the teachers.

This year I decided to get even more involved in UCET. Rather than continue to serve as a general Board member, I put my hat in the ring and ran for President Elect. Somehow I managed to win and now I'm committed to three more years. One as President Elect, then a year as President, and finally a year as the Past President. I might be crazy, but I really love the mission of the organization and want to do my part to my teaching in Utah more effective. I may not be in the classroom anymore, but I still feel committed to quality education for our students and I hope serving in UCET is a way I can help.

U2 4 US

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Last week it was announced that U2 was coming back to Utah later this year. You may recall the last time Bono and the boys came around I ditched Tara and went with some friends. There's no way I could get away with that again so this time around Tara took charge of getting the tickets. Basic tickets were $55, but judging from the view of Rice Eccles above you can see that $55 doesn't get you very far (except for far away from the stage). See you June 3....

Dede and the Tooth Fairy

About two months ago Kennedy started talking about her front tooth. It was loose and she was excited. She had learned from her friends that a loose tooth meant one thing - MONEY from the Tooth Fairy. Even in the joy of eventual capital gain, Kennedy was nervous about losing her first tooth. So, each time we brush teeth she's been quick to remind us to "watch out for my loose tooth."

Well, it finally happened earlier this week. The tooth started to go on Wednesday and by Friday afternoon it was out. The final culprit - a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Dede was careful to collect the tiny tooth. She needed her evidence for the approaching visit of the Tooth Fairy. She prepared even further by creating a note to give to her impending nocturnal visitor. I thought for sure there was no way Kennedy would even sleep that night as she was wired to meet the Tooth Fairy.

Eventually, sleep won out and the Fairy paid Dede a visit. I guess times have changed since the Tooth Fairy collected my final molar. Now the going rate for a tooth isn't change, but it's paper - cold hard cash. Dede woke yesterday to find $3 and some modeling clay beneath her pillow. Wow!

She was so excited, she raced up the stairs to show me and Tara her new found treasure. Dede was curious though as to why the Tooth Fairy took her tooth, but left the note and drawing she was given. Whoops. I guess the Tooth Fairy is still trying to figure things out at our home.....

Johnson's Canyon

President's Day Weekend in New Harmony has kind of become a tradition over the past few years. I guess it's the combination of the day off work and the allure of a trip to sunny St. George that makes the vacation a no brainer. Last weekend we packed up our van and headed South to enjoy some time with Nana and Papa.

I think the highlight of the trip to St. George this year was our hike in Johnson's Canyon. It's located just before you get to Snow Canyon State Park and it's only open for traffic from November to March. With the temperature around 60 degrees it was the perfect day for a hike. The fact that the hike was only a mile in also made it the perfect trail for Kennedy and Alex.

The trail was pretty fun. Lots of colorful red rock and some pretty cool things to look at. One was man made - there was a wall where several Dixie pioneers had left their mark. I was impressed with the size of the names in the rock wall, but I can't imagine how they carved them in the 1800's. The other attraction was natural - a beautiful arch that reminded me of Canyonlands or Arches National Parks. If you watch to the end of the video below you'll see that Alex found a man made arch on the trip.

It was a great day to get back outside after a long winter and I'm glad we made the trek to Johnson's Canyon.

94

Dylan went in this week for his one year checkup. Of course, his weight and height were the "big" numbers. Big D didn't live up to his name this time. In fact he isn't quite as big as he's been in the past. Since he started crawling Dylan's been thinning out to the point you could tell he wasn't as squishy as before. He weighed 27lbs. putting him in the 94th percentile for his age. That's down from his last checkup where he was in the 99th percentile. Dylan's still pretty tall, at 32 inches he's in the 96th percentile for height.

The only thing that matters though is that Dylan is a healthy, happy boy.