Tayia: blogging for the 1st time!!!!

Hey, this is Tayia. I'm blogging for my mom because she hasn't forever! I'm almost halfway through sixth grade, and I do enjoy some of it. Ha! Ha! Ha!
I want to thank all the people who employed me to babysit their kids! They helped me believe that I can do something on my own even if it's hard. Thank you so much because I'm over halfway there! I love getting to know the kids and playing with them. You have to acknowledge how smart the children can be and use it to help you come up with fun ideas for them. The key is be their friend. They can be so creative too! Lately, when I babysat, this little girl and I made a ginger-bread house together. She kept asking me if she could eat the candies! It was so cute! I love all the kids I babysit and their parents. All I can say to everybody is thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

For those in need of a trustworthy babysitter ...

I am supposed to let family and friends know that Tayia is now available for babysitting. Please give her a call if you need a trustworthy babysitter.

Gibson Produce

The Gibson family spent the summer raising tomatoes, onions, peppers, cucumbers, and green beans to sell in our produce stand. Really, it was a lesson in responsiblity for the kids, but proved to be an enjoyable family project. The intended goal: the purchase of a Wii. Our stand consisted of an old cattle feedbunk (thank you Grandpa & Grandma Gibson) and our signs were painted on old barn doors (thank you Friesen's). We spent many of our summer afternoons at the end of the driveway waiting for customers to call. Most afternoons were enjoyable, but a few were very HOT! I am happy to report that on Wednesday, September 9, Tayia and Bryner were able to purchase their Wii.

Summer, Summer, Summer . . .

Summer has been flying by so quickly! I cannot believe it is the middle of July! The Gibson family has been rather busy this Summer. Some of the highlights include:

• working in the garden
• experimenting with new camera
• taking an iMovie class/creating a DVD of our 2005 Disney vacation
• transferring home videos to DVD
• taking care of a baby raccoon
• swimming lessons
• Summer school
• flute and violin lessons
• canoeing on the Des Moines River on Father's Day
• spending 4th of July weekend at Uncle Christopher and Autie JoJo Farabees in Lincoln, Nebraska
• having a funeral and burial for Teko the cat (tragedy)
• hosting a backyard barbeque bridal shower for our niece, Sarah
• preparing to sell produce from our garden
• working diligently on my "Things To Do This Summer" list. I have successfully completed five of the eight items on the list. This is what I have left: update the kids' scrapbooks, finish rock border in front of house, and plant trees.

I don't want to think about school starting in a month. I say that, but I have been making lists of things I want to do for the new school year. That is what 3 hours of mowing or hours of weeding in the garden offers.

It's Been Awhile, I Know!

Some of you know that I started a long-term sub position in First Grade at Winterset Elementary in February. I am happy to report that the job is going extremely well. However, I now fully realize what the retired teachers meant when they said they loved being able to come in, sub, and leave. I don't think there has been an afternoon when I have left the building before 4:30 p.m. And just because I leave the building, does not mean I leave work behind. Usually my work computer is in tow so that I can work on Reading plans or Math grades. Those of you who know me well know that I am all about the details. I don't do a job half-way. I give it my all and my best!

With that said, I have had very little . . . well, . . . okay, NO time to blog, which is a bummer, because I miss catching up on the details of my friends lives as well as sharing some of the details of my own life. In fact, one of those things that I have wanted to share is that Tayia wrote me a wonderful note one morning before school and left it on my desk. She, too, has sensed the change in demand upon my time and my schedule. In the note, dated April 1, 2009, she writes, "I like you being a teacher but at least when you sub, you don't have to stay late. So please get home as soon as you can." It's true, we cannot have our cake and eat it too, as I am again finding out. Have a blessed day!

Word to the Wise ...

Okay, so we thought we would let Tayia have a fun, social-filled weekend with her girlfriends. Sounds simple enough, right. WRONG! Boy, did we pay a high price for that unintelligent decision!! Word up (as Jay would say): DO NOT LET TWEEN DAUGHTER SPEND BOTH WEEKEND NIGHTS WITH FRIENDS!!!!!!! That is if you plan to live with her for the next week.

Wii This Is Fun!!!!!!

Saturday we met at Brian and Annette's house for our monthly Gibson family get-together. Annette served up some yummy breakfast including cinnamon rolls, breakfast casserole, cranberry monkey bread, biscuits and gravy, grapes and strawberries with fruit dip. After breakfast, we all tried out the Wii Fit. I watched as one by one Jay, Britton, Tayia, Bryner, Marcia, and Keylie ran short races against each other. It was then Annette and I's turn to "run." Attached is the video they kindly took of Annette and I "running" the race. Annette beat me in the race, but I beat everyone in calories burned ... 132%! We definately had some Wii fun!