Boston and Stuff

So I'm back from Boston! What a Great Trip! I got there Thursday morning and we went and did all the historical stuff (By we I mean Kristie, an old roommate). We saw Bunker Hill, Where the Boston Masacre took place and the cemetary where they are all buried, The shipping yards and the Bonston Tea Party, and all the other things. There is actually a red line that starts in the middle of it all and you follow it around to see everything. It rained all day, but we had a great time. That night we went to see "Wicked." The best broadway show ever. I love it. I think I liked the one in New York better, but it was still so amazing! Friday we didn't do much of anything just checked out Harvard and some of the colleges. The highlight of the trip though was when we went to the First playoff game of the American League Championship at Fenway Park. It was so AWESOME! Who just goes to a playoff game? We sat in right field about 30 rows up. Even though I really didn't care who won I cheered for the Red Sox since that is where I was. So as many of you know the Red Sox won! Despite it being freezing cold and having no coat, it was fun to be around all the Fans. They are crazy out there!

Not much happened the rest of the trip. We went to Salem and check out all the Witch history there. Salem is one of the biggest Halloween towns I've ever seen. They were having a big Halloween Fair. Sunday we went to church and listened to Elder Holland speak on Harvard campus and then walked around Boston for a while. It really is a Beautiful place. There are trees everywhere. Mom would love it! Then on Monday I came home. It wasn't all that fun to go back to work, but I had a good break and can handle till Thanksgiving...I hope!

I really wish I could tell you more exciting things but there is not much to tell. Last year for Halloween I was Ghostbuster and I won best costume. This year I thought new ward new people so I again was a Ghostbuster, along with my roommate Stephanie. It is such a fun costume. Here is a picture of how fabulous we looked. I even had the Ghostbuster theme song to go with it. My ward had a great party but I was stuck in the kitchen cooking soup and missed most of the activity. I don't know how I get myself into these things. I think i'm doing a little and then it becomes so much more than I had planned. One day i'll learn to say no. The party we had at the school was crazy as always. We only had one kid that stayed in his costume the whole day. all the others cried like crazy so we just took them off. Trick-or-Treating with them was not so much fun. I was glad for the day to be over.

Well Life is still moving forward. I'm still having fun and trying to do good!

Update on LIfe

Like I said before I didn't think I would update this often. So here it is 4 months later summer is over and fall is definitely in the air. I wouldn't think it is around 50 degrees and raining tons out side. I am in my fleece pants and a sweatshirt trying to keep warm. I didn't do much this summer except work very little. I went in for maybe 5 hours a day and then just played. I put a swimming pool in the backyard and when I say swimming pool I mean an inflatable pool about 12 feet long 6 feet wide and not more than 2 feet deep. What a great way to cool down, and yes, I did have a great tan! I really didn't take any trips this summer either. My big plan was to go to Hawaii and stay with some friends that are from there. I waited to long to get tickets and the price was to high, and I didn't want to go alone. So for next summer I am putting it out there that I want to go to Hawaii and anyone who wants to go...well start saving and come with me.

So that Coed Softball team I was on ended up being not quite what we all thought it would be. Yes it was stacked and we did very well, but our hearts weren't into it. We still had fun though. While playing I was able to receive my first black eye. Here's the story. I am playing catcher and actually having a great time at it. I'm getting people out, making great plays, and having a good time. We were playing a team that we beat but should've beat earlier. We had that we are winning by so much so lets stop playing our best attitude and they came back. They had one batter left and he had to go all they way around the bases to tie the game. (your probably wondering what kind of rules we play by, basically coach pitch rules...we pitch to our own team, and everyone bats in an inning...dumb? yes, i know) So their last batter was one of their best hitters and we knew he would hit it far, so the plan was to get it to me. I was ready for it and when I got to me I had time to get over and go low so I could get the tag. The next thing I remember was being hit in the face and thrown backwards. My head was pounding. I'm pretty sure that there was an instant goose egg on my forehead and it was huge about the size of a softball. My nose also hurt. Well the next day it was still swollen and a few days letter the swelling moved down into my nose and under my eyes. I thought I would look worse, but I still looked weird. Then the black and blue sat in...all around my right eye and partially on the left. This story would've been so much better had they actually called the guy out that hit me, but they didn't and that is the most upsetting part about this whole experience. The team ended up forfeiting in the tournament since we were all going out of town. None of us felt bad though!

I also moved...not far from where I was but to a little bigger and nicer place. Mom and Daniel came up and helped me pack it all over. I have way to much stuff and can't figure out how to get rid of it. I did throw alot away during the move but still alot is still in my room. My roommate, who has now moved out, decided that it was okay to have her boyfriend live there full time and he did. I now have other roomies that are young and never around so I guess that it ok. I would rather be with the girls next door any way.

School is now in and going strong, and by strong I mean the kids, or just one kid imparticular. I'll talk about him in a minute. This year I am with the low functioning kids. About half of the class is non-verbal and the other half has limited language, most of it is not functional. I started out with six kids and then every two days added another one until Sept 11 when I started my last kid, Riley. Some of you have heard the stories of Riley. He is almost 4 feet tall, weighs somewhere around 70 lbs, and is very aggressive. He is minimal language but understands alot. Some of his favorite things to do is pinch in that sensitive spot under our arm, you know where our relief society flab is, scratch, spit, pull hair, walk on our feet, drop to the floor when he doesn't want to do anything, and his most favorite thing...Bite. Yup, he like to bite. I have been bitten 4 out of the 9 times. I must be his favorite. My bites are getting and so is Riley. He really is doing much better in the classroom. He still has all the behaviors but seems to know that he has to do what is asked of him. He loves to sing Old McDonald which he does very well and it seems to be a way that we can calm him down. He really is a cute kid and can be so very funny. One other Riley story that I just have to laugh about...on Tuesday he came in with his mom and he had a sprained ankle. His mom told me that he would have to be carried everywhere since he couldn't walk...yea right. It was all I could do but laugh in her face...carry a 70 lb aggressive boy around who when he doesn't want to go where we are going would just have better access to pulling my hair and more sensitive places to bite...what was she thinking. Mom decided, with a little, okay alot, of persuasion from me, to take him home and we had a Riley free two days! Now thats a good day!!

I have to share what makes my job worth it. Seeing Riley's small improvements are definitely worth it, but he's someone I knew would do well in the program. I have to tell you about Kayla. She is 4. She developed normal until she was 2 and half when she stopped progressing and lost the language and eye contact she had. Now the only way she communicates in by screaming, and she has that little girl scream that rings through your ears and almost drives you crazy. She is getting better at having a "Quiet Voice" though. She knows our routine and is progressing in our Attending programs. Her big day was on Wednesday when I was working with her in our Adapted PE class. We were singing "Head, shoulders, knees and toes". I am fully prompting her to touch each body part and at the end of the song when I let go of her arms she pointed to her knees and toes saying "knees and toes"! I couldn't believe it. She went on to say toes again and then in a work session spoke the word "please" twice. Why do I work with children with autism? Because when I go to work everyday and do my best at what I do to make a difference in the lives of these kids and to try and get them to a functioning level, It happens. They do progress and become more functional. Kayla spoke words for her first time in almost 2 years, she is "coming alive" and I get to be a part of that. She says more words and has done more in just three days. I can't wait to see what she is going to become!! It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in a while and I needed it to get me through!!

Well I think I've got everyone caught up on my life. I'll try to do this more often so it's not like reading a novel every time. I'm off to Boston next week for fall break, which is so needed! I'll let everyone know how it goes.

Everyone is doing this these days so I thought it could be fun to check out and try. I don't know how often i'll post anything but what the heck anything is better then what some of you get! So enjoy!!


So I am just finishing up my second year as a "Teacher" at GIANT Steps Preschool. It is always a hard time of year because I start to really love the kids and get used to them. Lucky for me though I only have 2 kids graduating out of 11 (number 12 moved a month ago). This is far better than last year when I had 11 out of 12 graduating, it will be not quite as sad, although the 2 graduating are mighty cute and fun!!



As for a few other things I just finished a season of the infamous BYU intramural Softball. I have been playing for 4 years now and my teams have made it to the championship 3 times and have failed to win. But last week I did it...well my team did it. We actually won the coveted T-shirt that they give out to those that win the championship. And although there are many who receive the T-shirt I think mine is extra special. I will start on a Coed team in the next few weeks, which we have stacked with some of the best players I know. Never been on a handpicked team, so it will be interesting.

On a sadder note...I Staci have been released of my duties as Activities Co-chair for my current ward. A calling I have had for 17 months. I know you all are probably thinking how great to be rid of all those weekends of planning and nights of calling people and delivering fliers, but no... I was good at it. I loved it and now I have been called to a calling that for me is one of the three callings I never really wanted to get. I am the new 2nd counselor in the Relief Society (can you guess the other 2). So now I get to be a girl again and plan all the girly things for the sisters in my ward (no offense to those of you who do this and love it... it's just not for me). I think I'm going to teach the girls to fish and hit a ball what better life enrichment could there be....? I don't know.

Well this is what's going on with me. We'll see how long it takes me to post again!