Dear Readers,

   I finally have done it! After all of these years, I have sat down and changed the background of the blog. Hooray! I am super excited because I love it! I am always up for a change.

 Today has been wonderful. I received a phone call at 5:30 this morning to tell me that school has been cancelled. Good 'ol-fashioned snow day. Yay!  I am guilty of staying in my pajamas and lounging around the house. Okay, I know I am supposed  to be doing things, but considering my 'holiday break' has begun early, I now have 15 days to complete my tasks. One of the major task I would like to get accomplished is to get a new camera. This one I have is driving me bonkers. I would love to post pictures from my classroom, but I can't :-(. Maybe Santa Claus will bring me another one. We will see!  

 For now, I am going to rejoice in this day and be thankful I do not have to drive in this icky weather. Have a happy day!

Patience is a virtue. 

  Well, with my little guys ( two in particular) my patience is being stretched to it's limits. I know they do not know any better, but I am so exhausted after their group! Their behaviors are absolutely unacceptable. They have such behaviors like non-compliance, mocking, swearing, hitting, kicking..etc (boy, the list goes on!) I love them both very much, but boy, do I ask God everyday to renew my patience with them. When they are separated, each are both angels, perfect students even. When they are together, it's awful. Unfortunately, they are grouped together most of the time because of ability level. My hopes for them are they learn to grow and grow to learn. I know all they need some TLC, but it's sometimes difficult to deliver that loving feeling when their behaviors are so awful. I love the challenge, but I need to do some serious reflecting on how to approach this situation in a loving manner. At this point, one little saying comes to mind.:

  God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

 As the holiday season is upon us, take time to enjoy the snowflakes on your fingertips, the winter air in your lungs, and the beautiful spirit that comes with the holidays. Smile!

 With something to think about, I must tend to my laundry and lesson plans. 

 

Happiest Thanksgiving to you!

   I know it's a tad early, but I will be out of town for Thanksgiving. My mom and I are driving to Missouri to celebrate the feast with friends of our family. We get to spend time on the farm, eat, drink, and be merry.

  As I like to do every year, I wish to make a list of things that I am thankful for this year.

  

   *I am thankful for my family, they are always there to support me in anything I do. They are the best!

   * I am thankful for my friends- (Edgar)- they are always there for me when I am in need.

   * I am thankful to have a new sister-in-law. I have never had a sister before so this is a good change in life.

  * I am thankful for a wonderful boyfriend. He and I have been through a lot over the years and I couldn't be happier to be with him!

  * I am thankful for the job of my dreams. I am doing exactly what I dreamed I would be doing. I am fortunate to have my talent with kids. The kiddies make me want to go to work everyday.

  * I am thankful for my health. I do monitor it and try to make the right choices. So far, I am doing a good job.

 * I am thankful to be me. I love who I am and who I have become as a person. I certainly look forward to the person I will be in ten years. (Stay tuned!)

 Now, it's your turn, what are you thankful for? Think deeply this year.  Are you thankful for the person who serves you coffee in the morning? The person who you let you merge into traffic when you are running late? The person who puts a smile on your face? The book that you simply cannot put down? The movie you can watch over and over again and still laugh/cry?

 Remember one little piece of advice: Smiles are contagious. I encourage you as the holidays are upon us, to make eye contact with somebody and give them the most sincere smile you can. Watch their response.  9/10 times, that person will return the gesture. (Pay it forward???)

Have a good week. Enjoy the holiday feast. Happy Thanksgiving!

 Have you told anybody lately that you loved them?  Try it. Not only will you feel better, but you will certainly make that person's day. Guaranteed. (Thanks, Dave!)

  On another note. I need to do a little shot-out to my Dad. He is like my super-duper number one supporter. Not only is he a fabulous cook, a patient listener, great adviser, but he is MY DAD! I am a lucky girl to have a Dad like him. He always looks out for my best interest, even when I don't want to hear it. He is also super flexible too. This past week, I had to take my car in for some repairs. My Dad took it upon himself to wake up early and make sure I had  a ride to school. He is so super fabulous. (He also picked me up too.) So, Dad, much Kudos to you. You are a great Dad, a leader, role model, and a friend. Thanks, Dad. I LOVE YOU!

 P.O.H.F

 Dear Readers,

   It has been brought to my attention that the link I posted earlier is not working. Thank you for your comments and concerns. I strongly invite you to try this link. It should work and it will be worth your time.  Check out the comment section, it's posted there. 

  Feel free to leave me your thoughts on this.  Also, if you have any videos of the like, I would be interested in viewing them. 

  I will post more at a later time. I must tend to the dinner dishes. 

 Enjoy!

             

  

This week has been a bit rough. Meetings, paperwork, collaboration, lesson planning.. AHH! There is not enough time in the day. I am still learning, and I have to remember that. I love my job. It's ironic because I have always found myself to be an 'instant-gratification' kind of gal but in this instance, I love the challenge of seeking out little improvements. Boy, does it take patience! Most people say it takes patience to do my job. I agree. I must admit, though, there are those times when I feel myself becoming less patient with my kiddies. In those instances, I take a deep breath, close my eyes, and re-group. If I didn't do that, I probably would be pulling my hair out. These kiddies need so much support in and out of the classroom. I love all of my kiddies and I would take them all home with me, if given the chance. 

 I am lucky to have a great support system for myself. My parents have been wonderful about letting me talk about my day and getting it out of my head. Dave has been fabulous about listening when I need to talk and providing encouraging words to keep me going (thanks!).

 Thanksgiving is coming up and I plan on posting about things I am thankful for. I have begun the list already. I am very lucky to have great friends, family members, my dream job, chocolate... etc  the list will go on! Stay tuned.

 For that I bid farewell. I must tend to my lesson planning. (Yes, teachers do lesson planning on Friday nights.)

 Enjoy the cold weather! (I NEED SUNSHINE!)

Dear Readers,

   I was just checking my email, as I do on a daily basis and I came across this last one. I do enjoy forwarded messages every so often and some I do in fact ignore. This one, I could not pass up. It drew my attention to it. Please click on the link and watch the whole thing. This is something close to my heart.

 Thanks,

 Becky 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=th6Njr-gkg0

  

Oh My,

  I feel as though I have not done this in awhile. Oh wait, I am right, it's been almost three weeks. Yeeps. I can probably come up with a thousand-and-two reasons as to why I haven't written but bottom line, I am just lazy. Let's see.. a lot has happened since the last post:

 

 My brother got married.

 I got my hair cut.

 My boyfriend took me to a fabulous crab dinner.

 A new student joined my class. ( I may be losing another...)

 I got an ipod shuffle.

 I attended NIU's homecoming (Go Huskies!)

 A lot has happened since my last post, but a lot more is to come. I am planning a vacation for spring break (may be  even Christmas too!). I need one already. Summer cannot come quick enough.

Speaking of weather...umm... snow??? In October?!?!  Grumbles. Time to move to a warmer climate.

Well, this is brief, but I will elaborate on some topics at another time. It's dinner time!

 

 

Time to get on my soapbox, watch out.

  Student loans? They're awful. I am sorry I even had to utilize them. Well, I did not have  much of  a choice. Anyhow, since I graduated, they gave me (and everybody) a  grace period of six months. Well you do not have to be a math major to figure out that my sixth month mark is quickly approaching. I tried to call and consolidate my loans today.  Guess what?!? They stopped consolidating loans in April 2008 (before I graduated). Lucky me. The lady said I would have to make many payments a month. Keep in mind they all equal to over 5oo dollars a month!!! 5oo dollars a month?!?!?  Who has that kind of money laying around. I don't So after crying and pleading with the lady, she offered me to lower my monthly payment. So I did and now I pay significantly less than 500 dollars per month. PHEW! Payments begin in December. I know it extended the amount of months I will be paying, but at least the amount per month is lowered for awhile. 

  The point of me explaining all of this is to lead into my ranting and raving moment. You see, I went to college to better myself.  Making better wages, saving more money, goal-setting, developing financial independence...etc...  As much as I appreciate my college degree, I certainly feel overwhelmed by this debt. If it were in fact were to stay at 500 dollars (plus) per month, that would have taken up most of my income per month. That's not exactly what I imagined financial stability to be.  This deserves a 'grumbles' moment. ::Sigh::  I know all will be fine, but until I truly get things figured out, I am totally lost in the world of numbers and negotiation.

 Life must move on.

 Speaking of lives, my brother is getting married in 6 days.  Wow, time does fly by. It seems like yesterday they just got engaged. That's going to be quite a party. I will be sure to write about it after the event. 

With that, enjoy the evening. Mine will be filled with laying out clothes for tomorrow and heading to bed.  

  What a weekend!  Friday night my friend from California came in, so I took her out. Before we went out, I must mention that my boyfriend made dinner for me. He prepared crab legs...yum! He surprised me!!! What a sweetheart! (Thanks, Dave!) Saturday was my boyfriend's parents' 25th wedding anniversary party AND my brother's soon-to-be bride's bachelorette party. Needless to say I am wiped out today. This week is forecasted to be not as busy as previous ones, so I hope to be home at a decent hour after school. 

   I have to do laundry and get ready for the day tomorrow. Enjoy what's left of this weekend!

 I just want to document this day in history. This is the longest my hair has ever been in my life. I love the length some days, but others I cannot wait to shave  my head. After my brother's wedding, I plan on shortening the length (despite some peoples' opinions) I value people's opinions, but these people are not with me in the mornings when I have to actually style my hair. It's not naturally straight and leaving it curly all the time is boring.  I have found a few styles that I like so maybe I can compromise.

 Also, this week I am heading back to the gym. I haven't been there in a month and half and I truly miss it.  I am going tomorrow, right after school. I NEED to do it. I worked really hard over the summer to build my fitness level and I do not want to see my efforts go to waste. 

  I have  a new blog game. It's called I DID NOT.  Here's how it is played: make a list of statements of events that actually happened. These statements are things you wouldn't like to admit otherwise. 

 Here's mine:

1.) I did not eat two Oreo cookies today, after knowing I ate a cupcake earlier in the day.

2.) I did not buy two new pairs of shoes.

3.) I did not take a well-needed nap.

4.) I did not accidentally trip over my kitty cat this morning.

5.) I did not curse out the rude lady  when she didn't hold the door open for me, as I was holding a bunch of groceries. 

 Phew. I feel so much better. Try it, hopefully you will feel better too.

 Well, I am actually staying home this evening. I plan on laying my clothes out for tomorrow and then cuddling up in bed. I am sure my kitty cat will join me.  I hope to be sleeping by 10p.m. Let's see how well that works out. . .

Have a good week! 

 And the Cutest Kitty Award goes to...

    

  Umm.. who else besides my kitty cat?!?! Her name is Natasha. I call her Kitty Witty, Tossseeey Wosseey.  Isn't she not the cutest, chubbiest kitty you have ever seen? This is what I come home to everyday. She loves when I come home and take a nap!!! She doesn't like it when I come home and check my email. Hence, the pictures above. Apparently, I wasn't paying enough attention to her. I love this little kitty!

 On a side note, this has been a busy week. I have been coming home from school at 6, minimally.  I am wiped out!!! I cannot wait for FRIDAY.. IT cannot come quick enough.  I have a dentist appointment tomorrow that I forgot to cancel. Oops! I guess I will have to face getting a couple cavities filled...after work, of course. Is it summer vacation yet???

what a fabulous weekend! The weather has been absolutely wonderful. I hope the higher temperatures last just a little longer. I am not ready for winter season.


I was fortunate to be able to spend some time with my boyfriend. I always look forward to it. His sense of humor can be quarky at times, but some of the things he comes up with has me laughing for hours, sometimes days. He's definetly a good person to call when I am having a bad day.

I know this is a short post but I am about to go out for dinner. We are then going to my brother's new apartment. I'll post again later.

Oh yes, this thing that casts shadows on the ground returns today. I am informed that it is called sunshine. This concept is fairly new, seeing as how we haven't had sunshine in days/weeks. Hooray for sunshine!

 I miss the sunshine in California.  It was 110 degrees and bee-a-u-ti-ful. I layed out and tried to soak up as much of it as possible. I wish it was  still summer. This fall stuff has got to go!

The meeting went fairly well with the principal today. I still know that there is more conflict to come, but I will deal with that as it comes. School is getting busier. Behaviors are becoming more of an issue with my kiddies. My one little guy cannot seem to hold it together. I really feel sorry for him because I know he cannot help it, but in the same way these behaviors have to be minimized ASAP.

I have to say I have bug bite on the the bottom of my jawline, closer to my earlobe. It's a little obtrusive, itchy, and obnoxious. Plus, at first glimpse, it looks like a hickey..bad for business..lol  

I know this post if full of randomness. I don't really have much going on this week. I have been waking up at exactly 6am (before my alarm) and going to bed at 10:00.  My kitty cat has enjoyed the stability of my schedule. She enjoys me coming home around 4:30p.m. and going to bed at 10pm. She doesn't really like me waking up early, though. Often times it's tempting to lay in bed 5 minutes longer, just for her.  

 Enjoy the rest of the week.... Friday is just around the corner.

 

I need help. I saw this thing today. It has been around all day and I cannot figure out what it is. Ya see, when I walk outside, it makes everything bright and causes everything to have a shadow. This is a strange phenomenon to me. I feel like I have seen it before, but I just can't put my finger on it.... hhmm any idea?

Today has been a bit stressful. Because I am a new teacher, I feel the need to build a good rapport with the other teachers in the building. I would also expect my principal to support me. Well, today wasn't so. It's very frustrating to be in my field because everything changes. Because of that, I often seek out my principal to clarify what's what and who's who. Long story short, I have a meeting with my principal first thing in the morning to discuss this matter. In my mind, simply not acceptable.

This is going to be a long week. God, help me get through this.

I feel like a million bucks! It's amazing what a little Tylenol, Nyquil, Vicks, cough drops and sleep can do!!! YAY!
The week just started and already I am ready for the weekend. I have been in meetings, but I would rather be with my kiddies in the classroom. I missed them today. I won't see them again until Wednesday. It seems so far away!!!!

Things have been well lately. My boyfriend (just recently..long story) took me out to dinner on Friday night. THEN went shopping with me on Saturday. He is so fabulous for doing so. In return, I took him to go see the new Nicholas Cage movie, Bangcok Dangerous. He totally deserved it. Men and shopping do not always make a good combination. If you are reading this, thanks so much for being so wonderful!!!

Well, the countdown has begun: 27 days until my brother gets married. Yay for him.

Hope everybody is able to get to where they are going without having to swim or use a canoe.

Allow to me make mention that everytime the weather changes, I get sick. That being said, I am sick. This cold came on practically overnight. I was not feeling any symptoms whatsoever. Rediculous! Teaching is not the business to be sick, even though it's the easiest profession to get sick. Ironic... Anyway, it really only has been less than a month and I catch a cold. This is going to be a loooooong year. Needless to say, I'm a little groggy right now. I will make it an early night.

Speaking of school, I have been trying to make my schedule for two weeks now and I keep having to switch it for some reason or another. Teachers have been asking when services are going to begin, but they are the first ones to complain when I have to remove their child from class. Lose-lose situation. Oh well, such as life.

I apologize for the last post--completely empty. I am trying to change the background of the blog and have yet to be successful. I really don't care for the same-old templates blogger offers. Any ideas?

Goodnight to all. Hopefully I will be a little bit more clear-headed tomorrow.

The weather is not my favorite today. Boo.

I have to say, I am going to bed A LOT earlier than ever expected. Last night, I was in bed by 9:15. Total opposite than while being in college, that's for sure. My mom says it's because I have a 'real job'. I hardly think it's a job. It's what I love to do and that's why I knock out so early. All day, I am running around-organizing, chatting with teachers, attending meetings, seeing the kiddies, and completing paperwork. As these are not difficult tasks, they can be mentally draining. I wouldn't trade any minute of it. Even though I may come home overwhelmed, I love it!

Funny story: I was testing the kiddies on their reading ability. One of my little guys (2nd grade) was chatting with me and I happen to notice he got a haircut. Of course I mentioned it to him and how it looks nice. He replies "Don't you worry, it will grow back!!!" I thought I was going to fall off the chair laughing. How cute is he?!?!?

Slightly off-topic, yet somewhat related. I have to brag a bit. While in college, I had two really good friends in my major. We did everything together. Ate, worked on projects, hung out, laughed, cried, partied...lol Anyway, neither of them graduated with me in May. They both opted to push graduation back a semester. That being said, they are student-teaching now, while I am working in the real world. Occasionally, I get phone calls with concerns from them- they're scared, nervous, unsure..etc. Of course I reassure them. Today, one of them called slightly panicked. His supervisor observed him today and his evaluation wasn't the best. He was a little down in the dump about it, but after talking awhile, his spirits seemed to be lifting. Toward the end of the conversation, he made a point to mention how proud of me he is and how sad he is that we weren't able to graduate together. He said he's glad that I have always been there to boost him up after a bad day. He especially misses my organizational skills... lol How awesome of a friend is he?!?!?!???!!!!!!!! That made me feel really good today. :-)

This is my second week with the kiddies and I am still loving it. Although I have yet to actually spend time in my classroom with them, I do enjoy bopping into their classroom to say hello. Today we began progress monitoring. Basically, the kiddies from all the grade levels complete reading tasks (reading a passage, saying letter sounds, naming letters...etc..) and we track their progress using a palm pilot. Pretty awesome! We will complete the testing tomorrow. Then, we compile the data and track individual progress, as well as by grade level. This then helps me create goals for the kids. That's my job in a nutshell.

Totally off the subject, I went to the dentist today. I have been having issues with wisdom teeth. Yucky. The dentist took an x-ray and revealed that in fact the pain is from the wisdom teeth, but also three cavities. I have to set up a consultation for the oral surgeon for the wisdom teeth. More than likely, I can wait to have them pulled because of their location. They are not quite through the gums yet, but the way they are positioned, each of them are still by the main nerve. Basically, if the oral surgeon attempts to pull them now, he could mess up the nerve. This will lead to me not having feeling in my mouth. I think MAYBE it's a good idea to deal with the pain I have now, then to not feel anything for the rest of my life. Even trade, I suppose. When I do have them pulled, I have to strategically plan it so that I will have recovery time. Being a first year teacher, I am granted 12 sick days, but I don't think it's a good idea to be taking all of them right away; it's kind of frowned upon. Anyway, good news is that I will survive. Haha.

I feel like I have so much to say (even with the pain in my mouth), but I cannot think of anything else. Oh yes, the weather today? Absolutely wonderful!!!! I should have been laying out, instead of being inside. Speaking of weather (another minor side-note) If anybody has friends or family members living in Louisiana, my thoughts are prayers go out to them. This must be a scary time for all of those people who are in Hurricane Gustav's path. Hang in there, be strong.

I love dollar stores! I just got home from a fantastic shopping day with my grandma and mom. We spent some time at Yorktown mall, and Oakbrook area. I bought some cute 'career' clothes, my grandma accessorized for my brother's wedding, and my mom just came along for the ride. Additionally, I spent a good amount of time at the dollar store. I spent 24 dollars ( tax exempt for being a teacher). For that amount of money, I purchased 7 supplemental activity books, 4 rulers, a set of 50 erasers, one pack of 414 ct Hot Wheels stickers, 1 pack of Tigger stickers, 1 binder, 2 packs of supplemental card games ( 3 games per pack), binder clips, permanent markers, 2 packs of colored index cards and a mini 3-drawer organizer. Can you believe it?!?!? I love being a teacher!!!!! My kids are going to love it all!!!!!! Because I am such a bargain shoppers, I am absolutely in my glory right now. This is fabulous. Also, I stopped into the store The Chalkboard. This store is a 'teacher store'. I spent about 9 dollars there, but again, it's tax-free and all for the kiddies. I enjoy the store, but I would rather go to the dollar store. I cannot tell you how awesome it feels to see resource out there for teachers.

More to come!!!

What a fabulous day!!!! Remember when you were in grade school and it was the first day???? I was able to relive those days with the students. Their faces were priceless. It almost brought a tear to my eye to see their eagerness and sparkles in their eyes. It definitely brought me back to my school days.
I cannot wait for the kindergarten students to begin their school days (tomorrow). I cannot express in words how I felt when the hallways and classrooms were filled with smiling faces. Speaking of good moments, I have one to share.

In my building and district there are A LOT of teachers who have been there since the beginning of time. I particularly enjoy this because it means job security for me ...lol jk. On a serious note, it feels like a family among the teachers. As a first year, it is intimidating to start in a building filled with veteran teachers. I am fortunate that if there was anything I needed, I can go to any of the teachers for help. That makes me feel relieved. Anyway, back to the good moment. I was sitting at my table this morning going over some minimal paperwork, when this teacher came in. Now, because it is the beginning of the year, most teachers bop in just to see the room and how it is decorated. This particular teacher did comment on the room but also requested my help in her classroom. MY HELP???!?!!!?! I nearly fell off the chair. I was completely ecstatic and eager to assist. She has students in her classroom that are ESL (english as a second language). She asked for my assistance (being that I am a resource teacher) to help planning her lessons to reach all of her ability levels. Again, as a first year teacher, sometimes it is difficult to earn the respect of veteran teachers so for her to seek me out and ask for my assistance, I truly felt accomplished. This moment, along with seeing the student for the first time, made my day. :-)

I know there will be many more of these great moments, so stay tuned!

Ps- Although is has been extremely sunny, I am a little disappointed with the weather changes. Waking up to a chill in the air and dew on my car is not a good sign. Where's my 90 degree and sunshine weather? Enjoy and smile! :o)

This is the first semester in 3 years I do not have to worry about moving back to school. It's a weird feeling when all of my friends are moving and I am staying at home... I found these pictures in my camera and figured now would be a good time to share them. The people in the pictures are just SOME of my friends from NIU. I am going to miss hanging out with everybody on a weekly(daily) basis. It's crazy all the people I met while in college. Each and every person helped me be the person I am today. I love you Neptune East Even (4th floor love!) I wish all of you a successful semester. I hope it's filled with parties, fun, cramming for tests and great times. I hope all of you know that I am only a phone call away. Please don't forget about me, just because I am an old career lady. Love you guys!!!!

This teacher thing is catchy. I think I will stick with this for awhile... :-)

The kiddies come on Tuesday. Even though we have early release days Tuesday and Wednesday, it will be a joy to see the hallways filled with little ones. Monday we have an institute day and Friday is their first- full day. My principal is amazing! She has helped me out so much thus far. I really fell into good hands. I am glad I followed my intuition, instead of being greedy. ( I am still working on pictures..)

Other than school, things are going well. We just had a bridal shower on Saturday for my brother and his soon-to=be wife. All went well... the usual eat, smile, open gifts, eat cake, go home. The countdown has begun. I believe it's a month and a half.

Enjoy the weather, as it will disappear soon. Yay for sunshine!!!

I am official. I received my badge from the district today. Yippeee!

I was working in my classroom after orientation today and I have to say I wish I had a fairy godmother. My fairy godmother would grant me three wishes. My first wish would be to set up my room so that it is kid-friendly and organized. My second wish would be to have a never-ending wardrobe and my third wish would be for my previous teachers to see me now.
I am sure they would be so proud. Particularly, Ms. Jalove. My fourth grade teacher. She allowed me to be the teacher's helper, grade papers, rearrange the room..etc... She's the reason I am a teacher today. I would love for her to see me now. I am sure she would be proud. If you're out there, please contact me! :-)

Anyway, things are going well. I am overwhelmed with setting up my room because there are boxes and papers everywhere. The file cabinets look like a tornado hit them. Yeeps. Long days and nights at school are foreseen. My mentor teacher is great. She is actually the Speech-Language Pathologist in the school. Wendy and I will be working closely with each other (besides being mentor/protege). We will be sharing kids as apart of the special education field. All will be fine.

With that, I am going to relax and do some laundry. I have a pretty easy day tomorrow. More orientation but we have more time to spend in the classroom. Hopefully I will get some pictures posted soon.

Dear Blog,

I deeply apologize for neglecting you for so long. I wish I had a good excuse as to why my last post was almost a year ago. Shame on me. I swear it was a combination of factors like time, inspiration, time..did I mention time??? Please forgive me and allow me to provide an update.

Congratulations to me! I graduated!!!!! Hooray. I begin teaching in a couple weeks. I have been moving into my classroom all week. The feeling is surreal. I continuously remind myself all of this hard work has payed off. When I first walked into my room, there was furniture everywhere. My eyes fell out of my head. Luckily, I am sharing the room with the ESL (english as a second language) teacher. This is her first year in the district, as well as my first year teaching. We are going to make a good team, I feel it. Her and I worked our tails off to set the classroom up so it actually appears to be an environment of learning instead of storage closet. The resource teacher before me left boxes upon boxes of stuff. I feel like it's Christmas. I opened almost every box to see what's inside. I have never been so excited about posters, staplers, markers, and books. I love it all!!!! :-) As I was going through the boxes of student books and papers, I came to the conclusion that I have not a clue as to what I am doing. I am sure this is a typical response for first-year teachers ( I hope...). My principal is outstanding. I cannot wait to begin this year.

On another note, I did a bit of traveling this summer. In May, I visited Montreal and Quebec City. Very beautiful. I also took a road trip to California. My friend Heather got a job in Victorville so we drove out there. We went through Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Arizonia, Nevada, and California. Total it took us four days of driving to reach our destination. Such an awesome trip! I love road trips. Maybe next time I will go to the east coast....

One more thing. My brother is getting married in a couple months. This has been a long journey. Makes me want to run down the aisle tomorrow ( sarcasm).

Overall, things have been busy since the last post. I promise to be more diligent about posting. Thanks to all of those people who have reminded me about my inactive blog. It really inspired me to find time to post. I miss it and certainly enjoy sharing my thoughts.

Until next time... Smile! :-)