A Holiday Celebration

As of 4:00pm on Tuesday Pilot Point School is officially on vacation for the next two weeks! Leading up to the vacation, which was much needed, we had to get ready for our annual Holiday Potluck. Potlucks are a big part of village life and in Pilot Point we typically have one every month. The Holiday Potluck is probably our biggest of the year because the students also perform at it and Santa comes to pass out presents. Even Cody had to get in on the Santa action - haha.

This year, the performance part of our event was titled "An Alaskan Christmas." We performed the play "The Sourdough Man" which is based on the classic story "The Gingerbread Man." Our play
was much more Alaskan-based. The story took place on the tundra and the animals were all Alaskan animals - musk ox, arctic hare, ptarmigan, etc. The kids did a wonderful job performing.

After wrapping up the play, we performed a song called "The Alaskan 12 Days of Christmas." It was a fun little version of the classic song with Alaskan animals substituted for the traditional lyrics.

The kids worked really hard to practice and get ready for their performance. They were happily rewarded with heaping piles of goodies on the tables for the potluck portion of the evening. It was a fun evening and everything went smoothly. It was also an exhausting day though - full of set-up, baking, performing, and cleaning. As fun as the event was, it was also nice to come home at the end of the night and put my feet up. Luckily, I now have two full weeks of putting my feet up and relaxing.

Your turn...What are some of the Christmas traditions where you live? 
Currently listening to...Joy to the World - Nat King Cole 

Christmas Break in Alaska

Cody and I spent our Christmas Break differently than most young bush teachers. At Christmastime, there is a mass exodus of teachers leaving (usually the same day that school gets out) and heading down south to spend three weeks with their families. While Cody and I debated this, we also were concerned about the expense. It's nearly $1,000/person just to get to Anchorage from our little village. It's another $500-$800/person to travel from Anchorage to Chicago. The district will happily reimburse my flight to Anchorage, but we still had to pay for Cody's flight to Anchorage, both of our flights to Chicago, and all of the dogs' travel. So, as much as we would have loved to see our families and to go home, continuing to be debt-free ended up winning out and we decided to stay in Pilot Point.

Staying in Pilot Point for Christmas ended up being a fantastic idea. We had a ridiculously relaxing break, and I feel like the community really reached out to us because they were excited to finally have teachers stay over the holiday season. In our first two weeks of break we were invited to holiday parties, game nights, fishing trips, and a local who was heading out of town even loaned us their four-wheeler. I feel like we really were able to cement our relationship with the community by planting ourselves here.

The final week of break we did head to Anchorage for a few days. Our grocery stash was dangerously low, Cody and I both needed to find a new doctor, and Specks (our older dog) had developed a small mass on his gums over the last few weeks and we needed to get him to a vet.

Our stay in Anchorage was...interesting. We store our car in a gated lot near the airport, but somehow we'd managed to have our car get robbed even in a secure lot. Someone had stolen ONE tire off of our car and left it up on a jack. The first two days of our trip revolved around hunting down a tire, filing police reports, and dealing with insurance. After the tire fiasco, we were feeling (understandably) a little burnt on Anchorage. We did manage to have some fun in the city though, and it was nice to take advantage of the amenities of civilization. We ate at a different restaurant every night (49th State Brewing was my favorite), we shopped for new clothes, purchased many fancy groceries, and all of us - dogs included- saw doctors and left feeling healthier.

At the end of the week we headed back to our little village. Our flights both ways were with Lake Clark Air and we flew direct from Pilot Point to Anchorage (and vice versa). This allowed us to fly through some of the most spectacular parts of the state, including Lake Clark National Park. The mountains were huge, the lakes were endless, and I couldn't believe that we are lucky enough to call this beautiful place our home.

Your turn...What did you do over the holiday season? 
Currently listening to... Darkness and the Light - Trampled by Turtles 

(Special shoutout to My Place Hotel for being the most pet-friendly hotel on planet earth, and for having the most helpful staff.  Check this place out if you're ever in Anchorage!)

The Start of Christmas Break

Christmas Break has begun, much to the excitement of teachers and students alike.  I think that we were all very ready for a couple of weeks of down time.  My students decorated a small tree in our room two weeks ago.  They had a blast making ornaments and decorating the room.

As is island tradition, we also went caroling to the homes of a few of the elderly islanders.  The students sang a handful of songs and we handed out bird feeders and cookies to each house.  It was a beautiful and much appreciated tradition.  Many members of the community showed up and took part in the singing. The students were freezing and tired by the end, but they were troopers and did their best at each house. Check out this great video of us singing!

The final day before break in my classroom we had a big, all-day party.  The morning started off with "Books & Toast."  "Books & Toast" is another island tradition in the classrooms.  The entire elementary wing declares a pajama day and the students spend the whole morning curled up with blankets, pillows, and good books.  They read in groups or solo, depending on their level and who does/doesn't need reading assistance.  Meanwhile, the teachers serve up a variety of breakfast foods, with the main course being some seriously fancy toast options.

After our morning of reading, we spent the afternoon watching "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" (the original version), having relay races and playing games in the gym, building (cheater) gingerbread houses, and enjoying a gift exchange.  I always try to do something homemade for my class each year.  This year, I filled quart-sized mason jars with all the ingredients to make peppermint brownies.  It was a hit!

I left the school on Friday afternoon feeling completely exhausted.  Normally, Cody and I travel for the holidays.  This year, we decided that we would stay put and try to get a little r&r. It's very nice to not be spending my precious break in airplanes and rental cars, zooming from one location to another.

Your turn...What some of your holiday traditions?
Currently listening to...You've Got A Friend In Me - Randy Newman

Midwestern Holidays: Part Two

The second part of my holiday break was spent in wonderful southern Michigan.  My dad and stepmother recently (within the last year) upgraded from a summers-only place on Lake Michigan to a year-round place on a private lake about five miles from the big lake.  This was the first time I had visited them at the new house. Here's a view of their neighborhood from the middle of their frozen lake!

I had a really fun holiday with my dad and his side of the family too! We spent lots of time visiting people, exploring the new city they are living in, freezing our buns off, drinking LOADS of amazing coffee from this coffee shop, and shooting guns…a Red Rider BB Gun to be exact.

I also spent New Years Eve in Michigan and we went out to a local bar.  It was lots of fun and we randomly ended up sitting next to a few members from a popular Vegas show (think nearly naked men).  Apparently, one of their members was originally from the area and it ended up being pretty hilarious for all of us to witness.

It was super fun to visit my family at their new place.  I was pretty sad to see my childhood house get sold this summer, but the new house totally made up for it.  This area in southern Michigan is a place that Cody and I have debated moving to at some point in time (probably when we decide to "settle down.")  There's a decent job market, progressive communities, close proximity to the lake, lots of colleges/schools, and we've just always enjoyed the area.  Getting a chance to experience the area in the winter months was a great opportunity for me in terms of future moving plans.

Overall, it was an amazing trip! I couldn't have asked for a better trip to Illinois and Michigan.  It definitely made me feel a little nostalgic for my Midwestern life.  But, I did miss Juneau and it was nice to be back in my own (tiny) corner of SE Alaska.

Questions:
Teachers: How did you spend those glorious weeks off? 
Non-teachers: Did you get to take any holiday time? What did you do? 
What is everyones favorite New Years Eve memory? 

Midwestern Holidays: Part One

I'm baaaaack!! That's right folks, I am finally back from my Midwestern adventure.  I spent my Christmas Break down south.  Part of my time I spent in Illinois and part of my time was spent in Michigan so I figured I would break this post up into two separate portions.  Let's start with where I was first….Illinois!

Ahhh…I missed those Midwestern sunsets.  Seriously, the sun setting on such an open space is breathtaking.  I can't believe how different the sunsets look back in farm country!

I spent my time in Illinois with my mom and her side of the family.  What an amazing time we all had!

I got to meet my niece, Ember Violet, for the first time during this trip.  I just couldn't get enough of her! She is so adorable.  I loved meeting this funny (and very serious) baby.

I also spent time shopping, eating at my favorite restaurants, chatting with friends, playing with LOTS of babies, and lounging around my childhood home.  It was so relaxing and I left feeling refreshed!

Sadly, the weather was pretty awful.  As many of you know, that part of the country is having a TOUGH week for weather.  It's been anywhere from -10° all the way down to -40° in some areas.  Yikes! I ended up stranded in a hotel in Chicago one night thanks to this nasty weather.  Oh well, that's the Midwest for you!

Overall, I had an amazing time in Illinois.  I can't believe my trip is over.  I wish I could have stayed another week and spent even more wonderful time with my mom, my sister, my niece, and all of my amazing family.  They were all so wonderful and made my trip really incredible.

Questions:
Are you in the Midwest? If so, how are you battling the weather? 
What did all of you do for Winter Break? 

A Very Juneau Christmas

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Cody and I had a fun Christmas Eve full of baking cookies, watching movies, opening gifts, and playing games.  In Cody's family it is tradition to watch the original version of The Grinch on Christmas Eve.   So, we popped some cookies in the oven and settled in to watch the movie.  After, we followed my families tradition of opening a new pair of pajamas and playing a board/card game.  Cody got me silly old lady pajamas (they were sooooo cozy) and I got him Chicago Bears pajamas.

Our teeny, tiny first Christmas tree. 

Modeling pajamas! 

Christmas morning rolled around and Cody promptly woke me up at 8:30am.  He repeatedly shook me and shouted, "WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!!!!"  So…..I did.  We made coffee and cinnamon rolls and tucked into present opening.  Cody and I had the best gifts!  We felt so thankful that our families and friends sent us such wonderful presents. Our families rule!

Cody opening a Kurt Vonnegut book (one of many). 

My new blu-ray player (finally I can watch NetFlix!) 

Specks doing tricks for his Christmas bone. 

After presents and all of that excitement we geared up (using new gear-thanks to my parents!) and took off on a hike. We went out quite a ways into the woods today.  We stumbled across an abandoned car at one point and stopped for some pictures.  It was very Into The Wild-esque. We hiked for about an hour and then walked down to the beach (well, the one in our front yard) and stuck our feet in the water.  Together with Specks we played out in the ocean for another thirty minutes.  It was so nice and relaxing to have the day to spend as a little family.

Abandoned car on Bonnie Doon Trail.

Christmas hiking as a family. 

Christmas views from our house. 

Matching XtraTuff's in the ocean. 

All in all, it was a great Christmas.  We miss our family and friends a lot but we ultimately got to have a great adventure this year.

Merry Christmas from the Thompson-Middleton family. 

White Christmas?

This week in Juneau it has been…sunny?  I haven't seen the sun in so long! I had almost forgotten what it looked like (ha ha).  But, we have had a few days of reprieve from the snow, rain, and clouds.  However, the tradeoff has been incredibly cold temperatures.  We have been ranging from zero-fifteen degrees with chilly Taku winds ripping through town.  I wish we could find a happy medium with this weather!  And, I am a little disappointed that there isn't any snow in the forecast for Christmas, I mean we live in Alaska!! There is no way all of our leftover snow will melt between now and then with these temperatures.  So, it will be more of a leftover-White Christmas.

View from my office-couldn't ask for a better view! 

In other Christmas news, we are ready for December 25th! The tree is decorated, the stockings are hung, and it generally looks like Santa threw up in our house.  I couldn't be more thrilled!  I am still working on wrapping some presents but I think I can get them ready in the next two days.  Cody and I are happy to be spending our first Christmas together here, in the last frontier :)

Dandelion Jelly

Christmas is nearly here and I couldn't be more excited.  For the first time in years I know without a doubt that we will be enjoying a white Christmas.  The best part about the holidays this year is that Cody and I have two days off together.  We never get time off together so I am extremely excited for our time.  We are planning a trip to Eaglecrest Ski Area and a trip to a local shelter to help distribute meals on Christmas Day.

In the meantime, I am enjoying my kiddos at work and all of their wonderful projects and plans that they have been doing to honor the holidays.  They have been thoroughly covering the school in glitter, beads, ribbons, and tissue paper.  We are celebrating with a Holiday Pajama Party tomorrow.  Everyone will come in the pajamas and we will eat sweet treats and enjoy watching The Polar Express (a personal favorite!)  

Dandelion Jelly (homemade).  Courtesy of a lovely kiddo at my center. 

In housing news, our oven is broken.  The broiler and stovetop work great! But, the oven won't heat.  So, while we wait patiently for the repair man to fix up our source of cooking-goodness.  We are stuck improvising and making some very random dishes.  Here is a picture of our stovetop veggie wraps and rice with peas.  It was a pretty tasty improvisation.  

Veggie wrap (sauteed vegetables and beans) with rice and peas. 

Snowstorms and Christmas Spirit

It has been a little while since I have written in my blog.  But, we are alive and well up here! We are surviving our first bought with Alaskan snowstorms.  I am sure by standards up here, it has been a teeny, tiny storm.  But, to those of us who are unused to the snow, it has been a bit of an adjustment.  We have also been hearing rumors that we are now in avalanche country.  So, I think our snow fights could get more intense as the season continues. For now, Cody and I are enjoying the change :)  

View from my schools playground. 

We have also been getting into the Christmas spirit.  This is pretty easy to do with a foot of snow on the ground!  It has been nonstop Christmas music, baking, and decorating at Casa de Thompson-Middleton.  We went for a small tree this year but it is still awfully cute (and real, my favorite!). 

Our first Christmas tree! 

Finally, we have been busy moving!  As I posted before, we found a house with ocean-front property!  Granted, we share this property with the other three people living in our complex.  But, still it is a peaceful little place.  We can literally walk out to the water.  Specks is loving being next to the woods as well.  It has been wonderful so far! 

One of my amazing ocean/mountain views.