Major Swelling of the Ankles

I completed my student teaching in Hyrum and passed with flying colors. I felt like there were days that I failed miserably, but low and behold, my supervisor and cooperating teacher only had wonderful things to say about my abilities. What a relief to have that part done!

I boarded a plane yesterday (two days ago?) and safely arrived in New Zealand. Our flight from SLC to LA on Delta was delayed so we successfully switched over to Southwest. As a going away present, I was given a gorgeous princess hat filled with goodies and I was instructed to carry it around the airport. Here's proof that I obeyed orders.

We got to LA without and issues any I even slept part of the way. I stayed up really late every night this last week so I was terribly exhausted and really looking forward to lots of sleep on the plane. After dragging our luggage all around the horse-shoe-shaped airport in LA (I packed way too much!) we checked in, got on the plane, and I slept like a little baby. I slept before dinner, I took an Ambien after dinner, I slept before breakfast, I slept until we landed. After I took the Ambien, I didn't even make it one full minute into an episode of The Simpsons. I had a really hard time staying awake the rest of the day.

I didn't take my shoes off because I feared stinky feet. Sitting on a plane for thirteen hours is kind of a long time. When I stretched my legs, my feet felt pretty funny. After we had been on the bus from Aukland to Hamilton for a while, we stopped and walked around. My feet felt even funnier. When we got back on the bus, I took a look at my ankles and whadddya know, they looked like a pregnant woman's feet!

For those of you who know me, you know my ankles don't really look like this. For those of you who don't know me, trust me: my ankles don't look like this. I don't have cankles!

I have been in Hamilton with my family for a couple of hours now and I think they are wonderful. I have showered and unpacked and I am so ready for bed I can hardly believe it. Just a few more hours and I will get to sleep again!!

I start in the school tomorrow. We have orientation and an official Mauri greeting tomorrow at 9:00am. Kayla (the ten-year old girl I'm staying with) is going to take me to school tomorrow and show me around. After the greeting, it is off to the high school and then who knows?

This is kind of a gross story...so I haven't shaved my legs for two months because I have been totally lazy. I have worn nylons every time I've worn a skirt and since I don't have a husband's legs to worry about cutting up with razor-blade-stubble, I just let the hair grow. Well needless to say, they totally looked like when I was in sixth grade before I was allowed to shave and Justin would make fun of how hairy they were. I couldn't take it anymore. The leg hair was so long I could actually feel it blow in the wind when I went outside. I decided to shave today as an arrival present to myself. Let's just say the razor clogged a few times and I missed some spots and now my legs feel totally naked. Exciting, eh?

Hopefully my feet will be normal again tomorrow. I don't want my students to think I have cankles! Not that there's anything wrong with those who do...anyway, we'll see how it goes...

Wow, this post of scattered. Can you feel the fatigue? Next post will be better.

P.S. I need e-mail addresses from Cassie, Jessie, Colette, Baker, and...hmmm...I don't remember