Friday, June 20, 2008

I Enjoy Being a Girl

Mmm I feel pretty. I dyed my hair a little darker brown (somewhat unseasonal) this morning to fix some grown-out highlights, then grabbed the scissors and cut some more layers so my hair would flip better. Then I went out to lunch with my mom to Mimi's Cafe, and then we both got pedicures! I got "Season's Greetings" red (also quite unseasonal). I feel like this is the first time in my life that I've had pretty feet! Oh what running marathons will do to your toes. Glory, it feels good to get done up.

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Home

Home is so healing, isn't it?! Its not like I've been lazy here; I've actually had my fair share of household responsibilities, seeing as my parents left for Germany for over a week. They always seem to conveniently leave town whenever I come home to visit :)


And so in taking the kids to swimming lessons, softball games, trumpet lessons, physical therapy, horse lessons, church, and doing the grocery shopping, gasing up the van, cooking meals, and dates every night with an old friend, I should be exhausted and long to get away. But I absolutely love it. Even the part where I had to take one of the twins into surgery yesterday to get a wood chunk out of his foot. I'm just glad kids come one at a time, and not 7 all at once.

But really, there's something about going back to where you came from that makes you see what you've become in the time you were gone. I'm surrounded by pictures and scrapbooks and videos and momentos of me from before I left for school, I know, a mere 4 years ago, but I feel like a completely different girl. Like that skinnier, more rebellious, simpler version of me had more of an idea of what she wanted than I do. And so the older and wiser me is just so intrigued by that frame of a girl who had her whole life planned. And some things happened just the way she wanted them, and some things, not at all.

Wow, I sound like I'm going through some mid-life crisis! Maybe its because another chapter of life ends this summer--that of being a silly college girl. And now I go off into the real world of having a real job and that small Ohio town "High-School-Camille" never thought she'd see the "College-Grad-Camille" as a single girl, a Home-ec teacher, settled in Provo, still the hopeless romantic she always was.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

Garage Sale

What luck to be back home for the annual Autumn Creek neighborhood garage sale! Every year, the week after school gets out, the mothers of our neighborhood pull out the price tag stickers, the lawn chairs, and the fans, open their garage doors and set up camp. Then they'll sit for a solid 3 days, with their coke and iced tea, and chat with everyone and anyone who comes their way.

Garage sales are a wonder to me. We sit outside, in the humid and muggy Ohio-ness, melting in our garages, no less, selling what we don't have room for, what we should have thrown out years ago, things that we bought on mail order that didn't really work, things we forgot where they came from, things we don't want the kids to see we're trying to sell, and for junk change. For a mere quarter, for a dollar here or there.

And as I walked home this morning with the little ones, a bag full of eyelet lace and ribbon that I had paid $.25 for, I realized that its not about making any money at all. Its for the sense of Midwest community in walking the whole neighborhood over and seeing everyone that you haven't seen all winter. Its to catch up on everyone's life, to see how big their baby has gotten, to see what they've done with the house, to welcome in the summer after a whole season of staying indoors.

I guess its sweet how they've all kept up on my life, though I haven't really seen the neighborhood like this for atleast 4 years. I think I babysat for atleast half of the neighborhood; they've seen me outside getting pictures for Prom or Homecoming, they've heard me giggling on the phone on our porch swing for hours, seen me on the steps when I was dropped off after dates, after curfew. They've gratiously bought grapefruit and oranges when the choir was fundraising, and let us use their driveways when we hosted parties.

And with every friendly comment along the lines of "Camille, you know you have to get married soon, because your dad's almost done with the gazebo", I smile and think, "I know. I'm working on it. I'd love to be inviting you to my reception in the backyard, I'd love to settle down in the cute little house next to yours, and then I'd be buying all of your baby swings, and high chairs, and footie pajamas at next year's garage sale. "Do you have a boyfriend yet?", "I should set you up with my nephew while your in town", "You better get started soon if you want a big family too". Oh, dear neighbors of Fairborn Ohio, thank you for watching out for me. You're cute. And I just never get tired of hearing it, I guess!

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Ring my Belle

So I really should just chill out on the shows, seeing as I did just finish Smokey Joes last month, and I'm leaving for the next 4 weeks to visit home and be an EFY COUNSELOR!!! But no, with every end of a show, the emptiness burns a whole in my heart and it seems the next audition, any audition will putty it back up!

Last minute I auditioned for Beauty & the Beast down at Center Street last week, and...got the part of Belle!! This time last summer, I did a Disney show there, where all the princesses sang a couple songs from their movie and it was just magical! So knowing that the directors had seen me as Belle before, if only for 3 songs, I hoped they would remember me, and that the dress fit me oh so well :)

And strangely, I feel whole again! Its like there are so many avenues that make up one's lifestyle, like a part each for work, family, church, relationships, etc. And part of me has to always be performing, and when I haven't sold my soul to any given theater or group or event, a part of me dies inside!

So come see "Beauty & the Beast", opens Sept 5th through Oct 3rd!

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

100

So once upon a time, my mom and I made a bet to see if I could date 100 different boys before I got married. Perhaps I too often threatened to just get married my freshman year, and this was a means of stalling me a little? Fine! Watch how fast I can do it! I think I have one of those personalities that fires at wanting to do something hard just to prove that I can.



So I turned 16 and the next week, I went to Junior Homecoming with Kevin Nufer, #1. I came to BYU and started at #9 with R.J. Christenson. We test drove nice cars, he taught me how to drive stick in a parking lot, then went to Wendys. And thus the list continued, on and on. Ten of them developed into some serious relationship along the way, I think I personally asked out 3 of the 100, 20 of them were set-ups or blind dates, and 41 of them had atleast a second date. Incredible, no?

Here's my theory: You know those people who parallel dating to ice cream? There are some girls who've only tried 3 flavors, and they are sold on vanilla or chocolate, and they are happy as can be with their first or second flavor because they haven't tried any others, and they don't need to, because what they have is wonderful. And then there's me, who has tried ONE HUNDRED different kinds of ice cream, and now I have an extremely detailed/expensive/specific taste, but what's worse, is that I can remember exactly what I liked about every single one of them and when I can't find it in the next number, I'm kindof irritated because I know that taste, that quality or characteristic, is out there in the perfect combination if I only keep looking.



I know that you're never supposed to "settle" for anything less than what you really want, but there does come a point when you have to realize that no one is perfect!!! Including me!!! So why am I still holding out, expecting to find it? Why do I keep walking away from incredible guys again and again?



And then last week, I had dinner and a movie with Jake Butler, my #100. And then I graduated that very week. Now what?!?! I'm supposed to pick one, right? I'm supposed to turn in my assignment, pick the very best one, and feel satisfied that I dated the world over. Hmm. Ok. I think I'd rather be the girl who was sold on vanilla!

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Inventory

SCHOOL : Family Life
BACHELORS MAJOR : Family & Consumer Sciences Education
--------------------------------------------------------------


Fall Semester 2004
A HTG 100 042 American Heritage 3.0
CHEM 152 001 Introductory Organic Chemistry 2.0
DANCE 180 006 Social Dance, Beginning 0.5
DANCE 190 002 Ballet, Beginning 0.5
MFHD 210 003 Human Development 3.0
MUSIC 200 002 Elements of Music 1.0
MUSIC 333R 001 Jazz Voices 1.0
PE 105 002 Healthy Living 0.5
REL A 121 005 Intro to the Book of Mormon 2.0
TMA 201 002 Theatre History 1 3.0
SEM HR ERN 16.5 GPA 3.53

*Note to self: Don't take 10 classes your 1st semester of college, on top of a performing group, a 5am cake decorating job, and Organic Chemistry!!


Winter Semester 2005
DANCE 280 008 Social Dance, Intermediate 1.0
ENGL 115 005 College Writing & Reading 3.0
GEOG 120 001 Geography & World Affairs 3.0
MUSIC 333R 001 Jazz Voices 1.0
REL A 122 093 Intro to the Book of Mormon 2.0
STAT 221 004 Principles of Statistics 3.0
TMA 202 002 Theatre History 2 3.0
SEM HR ERN 16.0 GPA 3.89



Fall Semester 2005
BIOL 100 025 Principles of Biology 3.0
FAMLF 100 001 Strengthening Marriage & Family 3.0
HFL 287 001 Intermed Clothing Construction 3.0
MUSIC 160R 022 Voice 1.0
REL C 324 021 The Doctrine & Covenants 2.0
SC ED 276R 006 Exploration of Tchg-Home Ec 4.0
SEM HR ERN 16.0 GPA 3.81



Winter Semester 2006
ENGL 359 003 The Short Story 3.0
HFL 102 002 Introduction to Interiors 3.0
HFL 400R 002 Teaching Practicum 1.0
MFHD 221 003 Foundations of Dev Appro Prac 2.0
MUSIC 186 001 Songwriting 1 2.0
PHSCS 167 001 Desc Acous Music Speech 3.0
REL A 212 009 The New Testament 2.0
SEM HR ERN 16.0 GPA 3.74



Fall Semester 2006
HFL 110 019 Food Preparation in the Home 2.0
HFL 230 001 Housing the Family 3.0
HFL 387 001 Adv Clothing: Patternmaking 3.0
IP&T 286 003 Instructional Tech in Teaching 1.0
MFHD 222 001 DAP Practicum 2.0
REL C 234 012 LDS Marriage & Family 2.0
SC ED 350 007 Adolescent Development 2.0
SEM HR ERN 15.0 GPA 3.94



Winter Semester 2007
CPSE 402 007 Educ Stdnts w/Disablts in ScEd 2.0
ENGL 315 006 Writing in the Social Sciences 3.0
HFL 202 002 Design in the Home 3.0
HFL 260 002 Family Finance 3.0
NDFS 100 001 Essentials of Human Nutrition 3.0
REL C 261 009 Family History-Genealogy 2.0
SEM HR ERN 16.0 GPA 3.89



Spring Term 2007
HFL 180 001 Clothing the Family 3.0
HFL 223 001 Preparation for Marriage 3.0
SEM HR ERN 6.0 GPA 3.85



Summer Term 2007
HFL 403R 001 Research Practicum 2.0
MFHD 240 001 Parenting & Child Guidance 3.0
SC ED 353 001 Multicultural Education 2.0
SEM HR ERN 7.0 GPA 3.87



Fall Semester 2007
HFL 282 002 Textiles 3.0
HFL 340 002 Family Meal Management 3.0
HFL 377 001 Tchg Mthds in Fam&Cons Sci Ed 3.0
HFL 395R 001 Special Topics in Home & Fam Livng 3.0
REL C 130 008 Missionary Preparation 2.0
SC ED 378 003 Practicum in Secondary Educ 1.0
SEM HR ERN 15.0 GPA 3.80



Winter Semester 2008
SC ED 476R 020 Student Tchg Internship-Home Ec 12.0
SEM HR ERN 12.0

--------------------------------------------------------------
BYU GPA SUMMARY

BYU HR ERN 135.5 GPA 3.80


And thus its been an incredible BYU experience! I think in every aspect of life, we reach the end, and suddenly it all seemed like cake along the way. You forget how impossible half of these classes were and all you can remember is how fun it was! (Ok, I still recall hating finals every single time!) I mentioned this to my mom, and she said its like childbirth--you forget everything you hated about it and it really wasn't all that bad? Can't every life experience be like this? Its hard in the moment, and at the time, you think there's never been anything more difficult in your life, and then you reach the end and it hardly seems like it was a struggle in the first place.

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Why I Love Middle School

I thought I loved teaching high school, until I tried out middle school, and now I don't think I'll ever go back! These last 2 months have been absolutely nothing but rewarding, and SO much fun! The moments I'll never forget:

My first week there, I told my class, "If I see any of you misbehaving during the assembly, you're sitting next to me". Then I see cute Derek intentionally whip out his cellphone, and I snapped my fingers, "Derek, here, now", and he uttered a "Yessss!" and got to sit by me the whole assembly, haha ha.

I was teaching my 8th graders about the milk group, so I brought in the marshmallow fluff and we made "milk mustache" poster pictures, which I put up on a bulletin board outside our classroom.

The intense cologne aroma on everyone, in the halls, and especially all those 13-year-old boys.

How I may never be able to find a parking space at my apartment complex, but at South Hills, I have an entire 200-car lot all to myself.

In my rowdy 7th period, there were 4 boys who I was always having to keep on track. Their names were Travis, Braden, Derek, and Spencer (all four names of my brothers).

My students wave to me in the hallways and say, "See ya Miss Hancock" as I go out to my car!

Feeling a little guilty for being so excited that my two worst students got in a fight and were suspended for 3 days!

The plate activity--see below

Giving all my classes a test on the opening night of my show so I didn't have to talk. And then finding out that the boy I kiss in this show has a little sister, in my 7th period. Awkward! Poor girl, imagine watching your older brother kiss your teacher!




From my students:

"You are so nice! I never want you to leave. You're one of the nicest teachers I've ever had!"--Megan Jensen

"You have such beautiful brown hair" --Chase Williams

"You are a great teacher and I feel like you have taught me a lot. Thanks" --Cathy Park

"I like your sense of style! I totally need to find out where you get your clothes" --Sierra Samowitz

"Miss Hancock you are the best teacher I've had all year" --Isidoro Machorro

"I always love your hair I mean does it take you a long time to do it? And your outfits are always cute!" Grecia-Maria Ferreyra

"Thank you for being a wonderful teacher. P.S. substitute for Mrs. Fisher when she isn't here please" --Josh Foxworth

"You are the nicest student teacher I ever had, and are really fun too!" --Erin Barnum

"Ms. Hancock, you are really, really pretty, inside and out. Your a great teacher and will go far" --Kassi Killian

"You have looked uber stunning this year" --Kenzie Pettit

"You are awesome!! I don't want you to leave us!!!" --Josey Nix

"You are an amazing teacher! You made class sooo fun! :)" --Katelyn Smith

"You look amazing all the time and you are a very good teacher" --Brittany Clements

"You have been the best student teacher ever." --Korri Sage

"You look amazing in jeans. And I'm not just saying that. You really do." --Jennica Henderson

"You were great. Your better than half of the teachers I've had!!" --Derrick Rodriguez

"You were always super happy and it makes it easier to learn" Lindsay Hale

"You are very sweet and nice. You care about everyone. I love that. I will miss you :( " --Amber North

"Ms. Hancock you are my favorite student teacher I've ever had, come back and visit" --Mariah Emal