Soooo... If you live in the STL, you know how crazy weather was today. Only in the midwest would you have 60+ degree weather a week after Christmas (when we got like 3 inches of snow), combined with tornadic activity. Craaaaaazy, I tell ya. The boys and I packed it in in the bathroom in case a tornado actually hit. I have NEVER done well with tornado warnings, and I was by myself today because J was at work. I streamed the weather off of KTVI and kept checking Facebook for updates from friends in the area. Here's a picture from our adventures (please note Facebook up on the computer, LOL)
Anyway, if you were with me last December 31st/January 1st, you may remember my New Years' Resolutions for 2010. I would say I didn't fail miserably on most of them.
1. Start compiling my 101 in 1001 list.
Didn't follow through with this one bit. I have some ideas, but I haven't written anything down. Hopefully I'll get with this this year. 2. Have at least one REAL date night with my husband a month.
This didn't happen, either, though we did probably manage nice evenings out a few times this year, including our trip to Memphis. 3. Read at least four books on youth ministry.
I didn't read 4 books on youth ministry, but I did read 4 books on Christianity or youth ministry:
We did manage to pay of 2 credit cards this year. I am thinking about reexamining our approach to how we pay everything off. We're currently doing the snowball effect that Dave Ramsey writes about, which is AWESOME. We should have our third card paid off by the beginning of May with the momentum we have right now, but I want to use our entire tax return towards credit cards so that will hopefully change. 5. Buy a car for J.
Success! We bought J a 2005 Nissan Sentra in March. It's a stick and I just recently learned how to drive it. 6. GET A JOB.
Success on this one, too. In fact, I went above and beyond and got TWO jobs this year, LOL. I was hired to teach 2's in O'Fallon in February and I did that until the beginning of December and then I was hired to teach Pre-K at a school in Maryland Heights. I did quit 2 jobs, though: subbing for the FZ school district and my job at the bookstore (this one I'm really going to miss mostly just for the people I work with), and I discontinued my affiliation with one of my sitting agencies.
Well, 3 1/2 out of 6 ain't bad! I'm going to come up with some for the new year and post those tomorrow. One is really ambitious and I'm still working up the courage to commit. =)
It's definitely been an interesting year in 2010, to say the least. Here's a recap of everything that's been going on:
January
I had an interview on the 8th for a position with Youth in Need. I didn't get it, unfortunately. But it was my last rejection before getting my job as a 2's teacher
in O'Fallon in February.
Paulie and Sebastian started to really warm up to each other, but Sebs still felt like our house was Paulie's house.
February
I turned 24 and got a job on the same day. This job was teaching 2's in O'Fallon and I enjoyed it for most of the time I was there -- more on that later. Honestly, I was grateful I had fulltime employment.
We also moved out of our townhouse in Maryland Heights to a condo in St. Peters at the end of the month. The move was especially good for the boys, because the place wasn't inundated with Paulie smells. Sebastian really started coming out of his shell once we moved.
March
J and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary. We didn't do anything too special, mostly because we were broke. Our small group gave us a ream of paper and a package of paper towels, and another couple gave us a book of stamps (because the first anniversary is paper. ha ha ha).
J and I also bought a car this month. It was soooo nice to go back to having 2 cars -- the freedom we got after that was wonderful.
April
I went to an amazing place in Georgia for the first of 2 mission trips this year. God really planted something in my heart while I was there that I've discussed with J and a couple of other people, but not something I want to share on here just yet. I know it's a God thing, but we're praying for the right time to follow through with it to reveal itself.
May
Nothing really too exciting happened -- my friend Katie got married and I bought a new camera.
Our youth service was a lot of fun and my kids did the Lifehouse Everything human video thing:
June
I helped out with our Egypt VBS at church which was alot of fun, especially because M joined us for that. My favorite girl turned *4* which I still find incredibly hard to believe -- she'll be starting Kindergarten next fall!!
July
I went with our high school youth group on mission trip #2 to West Virginia. This was a whole lot of fun and West Virginia is absolutely GORGEOUS. If you've never been, I highly recommend you visit. (Side note: I just realized I never wrote about this trip. Oops. I'll see if I can pull something together.)
August
I started not liking my job. At that point it was mostly an issue with the administration and not the kids, and eventually it got better for a little while. I did get a lot of way cute photos of my kids this month, though.
We had a fun pool party to commemorate the end of the summer with youth group.
September
I donated $20 to charity:water after I got 4 responses to a post where I pledged $1 for each comment. My new co-teacher suit and by the end of the month, it was me and 8 kids.
October
I basically had run of my own class. It was me and 8 2 year olds every day this month and I LOVED it. Let's face it, I work best by myself sometimes and I really got those kids in a routine that worked well and the class ran smoothly. This was probably the best month I had at that job because my classroom was MY classroom.
My friend Ashley moved to Minnesota at the end of the month and I still miss her loads.
I interviewed for a pre-K position at a brand new school that I didn't get. I cried for about half an hour after I read that e-mail and then told myself that God would lead
me to the right position at the right time.
November
I got a new co-teacher at work and while the first week or so was great, I realized how bored and unhappy I was teaching 2's and as a result I started resenting her.
I saw Harry Potter at midnight because I'm a nerd.
I had my first interview for a different pre-K position (the one I ultimately got). You can read about my initial impressions of the school on this post.
Thanksgiving was pretty low-key. I babysat waaaaay early in the morning and then put up our tree. I worked at the book store on Black Friday and had a lot of fun (seriously... we're so busy and get to talk to so many people I never realize that I've been working for 7.5 hours).
December
I had my second interview for my job on the day we left for Christmas in Memphis. I met with L, the other teacher, and we hit it off right away. I left knowing that that job was mine.
In Memphis, the weather was really nice, so J and I went to the zoo. This totally made my year because you know what they have at the Memphis zoo? Panda bears. And you know what my favorite animal is? That's right: Panda bears. I was soooo excited to see a real live panda.
Tuesday after we returned from Memphis, I quit my job. I was 98% sure this new job was mine and I was just at the end of my rope. I loved how sweet my kids were most of the time, but I was tired of changing diapers and making sure they didn't bite each other and keeping them occupied every second of the day. I felt like I was a babysitter and not a teacher, and it didn't help that my teaching style clashed with my new co-teacher's (and since I don't like confrontation, I just seethed internally). After I quit I had a few hours of "Omigod, what did I just do" but honestly, I felt mostly at peace with the decision. The following Thursday, I got my new job as a pre-K teacher. I'm actually TEACHING and I love it so far. I'll start full time next week.
A bad sinus infection knocked me on my rear the weekend before Christmas. I had a temperature of 101+ for most of the weekend and I ended up having to call in on my first day of work. My doctor told me to buy some Mucinex D to help clear my sinuses. Have you ever used that stuff? IT WORKS.
SO that's it. Tomorrow I'll update on my resolutions for the year and let you know what I want to accomplish in 2011. =)
J and I just got home from our Christmas Eve service, which was beautiful. I love singing "Silent Night" by candle light. Makes me cry every year. =)
This video has been making the rounds, but just in case anyone hasn't seen it, I wanted to share it. It's put out by Igniter Media, who does a lot of the videos we show at church for service. It's the Nativity through Facebook. (What if Mary, Joseph, Elizabeth, Zechariah, the Shepherds, etc, all had Facebook?)
May you and your family be blessed this Christmas!
...Instead I'm at home in bed. I had a 102* fever on Friday and a fever all weekend, fluctuating between 98 and 102. Talk about YUCK. And, I still had to work because it's the weekend before Christmas and she had everyone scheduled, thus no one who could take my shift. So I sucked it up, took some Mucinex and Tylenol, and tried to be positive. But last night I felt like death so I called in.
I felt terrible about it but the director, G, was really understanding. She said she knows I wouldn't call in if I weren't actually sick. I went to the doctor this morning and it's not the flu (which is what I thought it was) but probably just a BAD sinus infection. I don't remember having a fever with any of my sinus infections before, but whatever... I took my first dose of antibiotics and Mucinex D a few hours ago and I already feel better -- and my fever broke.
G said I can definitely come in tomorrow since I'm on an antibiotic, then mentioned she's got a 3's teacher in there right now and my new coteacher, L, said she misses me. In only 8 hours, she's comfortable with me! She said that the kids stay calm when I'm around, LOL. It's nice to know that she enjoys working with me. =)
And here's a funny story: Last night, I fell asleep sitting up so I could breathe after eating some chicken noodle soup. Paulie at some point hopped up on the couch and pawed at me. Next thing I know he's on the coffee table, lapping up the soup broth. What a punk! That was either a, "Hey, are you sleeping 'cause I really want that broth but I know you won't just give it to me." Or is was a, "Hey, are you gonna finish that 'cause I could take it off of your hands...." Ha ha. Silly kitty.
Yes, you read that right. I took a leap of faith and put in my two weeks. There's actually a story behind it; my director said that "my attitude was no longer acceptable" because apparently I was being rude to everyone. Whatever. No, I wasn't happy there, but some of the things they brought up to me were so trivial and things that I had done only ONCE in the last month or so let alone in the whole 10 months I worked there. They told me I could "voluntarily resign" or I would be put on a probation, and basically if they had to "speak to me again" I would be put on a sub list (which =FIRED). SO I filled out the voluntary resignation and put in my two weeks and they sent me home.
Then they called three hours later and told me that my classroom was covered and not to worry about coming back in.
What pissed me off the most, even more than how they treated me and how they handled it all, was that I didn't even get to say goodbye to my kids. Not even C, the little girl who was my favorit
e (although I did get to give her a hug when I went back for all of my stuff). And I worry about what crap they're telling the parents about why I left.
Anyway, I had my third and final interview this morning at the center I mentioned 4 weeks ago in this post. I got to teach a phonics lesson (Phonics Dominoes, which were a hit) and then spend a lot of the morning just watching and helping out where I could. I knew this job was mine because the director was so willing to work around my work schedule (and, listen, I have two jobs, so sometimes that was hard) which means almost a whole month went by between my first interview and my interview today. That's probably why I was so... whatever... about losing the job in O'Fallon. I knew I wouldn't be out
of work for long.
I was right. I got the call this afternoon inviting me to the team. I'm so pumped about this job. Teaching the phonics lesson this morning put me back in love with teaching. It totally reminded me WHY I want to teach.
I start fulltime on January 4 (they're closed the week between Christmas and New Years) but I get to work 4 hours next week and 20 the week after. I can't WAIT!!!
I'm a HUGE Switchfoot fan and have been since their "Learning to Breathe" days in the early 2000's. They bring back memories of high school and driving to swim practice with Jen. =) Their earlier stuff is more "Christian" than most of their newer stuff has been. They're actually my "gateway band." They led me into other Christian rock bands (like Jars of Clay, By the Tree, and Tree63). It was because they weren't obviously Christian (you won't really hear them singing blatantly about God but you know that's Who they're singing about) that made them so appealing.
The Beautiful Letdown was a fabulous CD, but their 2 subsequent CDs were major letdowns to me. They had signed to Columbia and I feel like the just sold out -- their music was, just, not them. Not that I expected them to become a "real" Christian Rock band, but they got so far away form their roots that I was disappointed. They were still singing about the downfalls of mankind, but I felt like there was a disconnect.
Their most recent project, Hello Hurricane totally redeemed them in my eyes, though. They were on an independent label and I feel like they've really reconnected with their calling and purpose that God gave them -- to reach people without being in their face about the love of God, to spread the Good News in a way that works for them, and that people are receptive to.
Anyway, that whole spiel was to lead in to a few videos. The first is "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)" which is totally their sound and why I love them. Socially minded lyrics,
This second one is probably my favorite song off of this album -- in fact, it's currently my ringtone. What I LOVE LOVE LOVE about it is that it's actually part of a three song sort of trilogy (Your Love is Strong and Let Your Love be Strong) and it's about God's love and how it is EVERYWHERE. "Your love is a melody underneath me." LOVE!
PS: I didn't know an acoustic bass guitar existed. Guess I was wrong!
I lost my temper at work yesterday. No child was hurt, nothing got broken, etc, but I did realize that I don't like working with twos anymore. It was a good "Get my foot in the door and get some experience" job but it's not what I want to teach. There are a few kids that if their parents asked me to nanny for them I would do it in a heartbeat, but the fact of the matter is I don't really WANT to do that, either.
I had a job interview today (scheduled last week... purely coincidence) at a center in Maryland Heights that seems to be EXACTLY the job I would like to have. You walk in the door and you can tell -- LEARNING HAPPENS HERE. There's art all over the walls, the walls are bright, and there is a very low turnover rate which means they treat people right. This position is a Pre-K position and a lot of my past job experiences might really help me nail this job -- they teach them swim lessons in the summer but "it would be nice to have someone know what they're doing." They have all the CPR stuff but no one to teach it.
She said she was doing preliminary interviews and would be calling about secondary interviews. I told her I'm headed out of town Dec 2 (the next available day I'd be able to come in) but could come by that morning since we can't leave till J is off of work. She said, "I'll call you anyway because I think you're a good fit, so let's just schedule it now." Whee!
I really want this job. The hours vary -- always 4 10 hr. days but not the same shift day after day after day -- and the pay I asked for seemed acceptable to her. And it's an independent center, which means no corporate people breathing down our necks about enrollment (my least favorite thing about my current center).
It's not a 2nd grade classroom, but it's closer than where I am now, and they implement multiple intelligences int heir curriculum (Google it... Howard Gardner is the man who created the theory). Ah, can you tell how badly I want this job? I don't want to get my hopes up though, because the last time in interviewed for a pre-K position I didn't get it and was freaking CRUSHED. But, God has a plan, right? I'm just trying to hold on till He clues me in. =)
Did you like The Time Traveler's Wife? What about Twilight? I just finished a totally awesome book that I want to recommend.
My Name is Memory was written by Ann Brashares of Traveling Pants fame. It's a love story between Daniel and Sophia/Constance/Lucy through the span of time. Daniel has "The Memory" -- which means he can remember all of his past lives, including the life in which he first saw her and the life in which he first fell in love with her. Each life he spends remembering her, hoping to find her, hoping the for once they will end up in the same place at the same time at the same age. (See the similarities to the aforementioned books?)
The ending just kind of was there, but apparently it's a part of a trilogy so I won't hold that against Brashares. I spent a lot of the last week sick with a pretty bad cold (or SOMEthing) so I had a lot of time to read, thankfully. I didn't want to put this book down. In fact, I had to MAKE myself put it down today to get some work done while my kids slept! It just came out in June so I don't see the next installment coming out for a while, unfortunately. But I cannot WAIT for the second book.
At our Halloween party, E dressed up like a dinosaur and I would ask him, "E, what does a dinosaur say?" "Dine-saur go RAWR!"
On Tuesday, N was having a chill out in the corner (I don't remember what he was throwing a fit about). The soap guy (who comes EVERY Tuesday at the same time to check our soap dispenser) comes in and N goes, "Daddy!" The only thing similar is that both guys have shaved heads!
On Wednesday, K1 wore her pants with squirrels on them. The first time she wore them in September, I taught her a song I knew from camp called "Grey Squirrel". In said song, the squirrel swishes its bushy tail. K1 does an all-out swishing of her tail that is the darn cutest thing I have seen. She throws her head down so her butt is straight up in the air and she shakes it. I have a video that I would love to post but it shows her face a LOT and I don't know how to edit videos with little black circles or blur out her face. Just trust me -- it's way cute!
Also on Wednesday, during our free play in the AM after breakfast, I over heard H tell his buddies that "Mommy has a baby." I looked at him and said, "H, is mommy going to have a baby?" And he said, "Uh-huh, SOON!" And on soon his eyebrows went up and he stuck his hand in the air, pointing with his finger. (Not soon, though... Mom's due in March.)
On Thursday we had an in service where we watched a video about curriculum and me and E, my new co-teacher, rearranged our room and took a lot of things out of containers and just placed them on the shelves. All day yesterday whenever we were having free play, C would take a purse out of Dramatic play and fill it up with the sensory bottles. What a hoarder!
I wish I could say that my job is good birth control and a good reminder of why J and I need to wait before we have kids.
But that would be a lie.
I leave you with a photo I posted on Facebook, so I apologize if you've seen it already:
N is charged with DWR: Driving While Reading. Let's hope he breaks this habit within the next 14 years...
I can't believe it's almost the end of October! This month has really flown by. For a quick, short update:
I interviewed for a pre-K position 3 weeks ago. They said I would hear back by tomorrow. I really want this position, so we'll see!
Ashley, the teacher next door who has been one of the best friends I've made in a while, is moving to Minnesota at the end of next week. Insert sad smiley here.
We're going to be starting rehearsals for our Christmas choir soon and I'm totally pumped about what we're doing -- BarlowGirl. Whee! I love them and their Christmas album is one of my favorites.
My best friend is getting married Oct. 22, 2011 and we're crashing a wedding at her venue on Saturday. (Don't worry, I got permission!)
We had to do some work on my car that cost us about $250 but God is amazing and the money is being replaced this week -- right when our rent and car payment are due!
I had 4 people comment on this post. So since $4 looks lame, I'm going to donate $5 for each comment, which means a $20 donation. I'm making it as soon as I hit post. Thanks for your support!!
Tomorrow is the last day of September, which means it's the last day of the 30.30.30 project. In this post I said I would donate $1 for every person who commented.
I've had 3.
I know more people read me. Blogger says I have 18 followers (though I don't know who about 6 of them are). It takes all of 2 seconds. Please? With sugar on top?
At the end of the tunnel, that is. And it's waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down there.
Notice how I haven't bitched and moaned about money recently? It's not because we won the lottery (I WISH). Actually, things are still tight, but we've had a better handle on where our money needs to go which, really, makes all the difference. I have a spreadsheet on my computer which goes all the wayt o the end of the year and basically tells me which bill I'm paying each week and how much (i.e. we split up our cell phone bill just 'cause we can and it's our largest bill...). It's definitely helped us be more diligent about who we need to pay and how much we're going to set aside for rent and our car payment.
But at the end of August, Jerome's car needed $400 worth of work. Money is still tight and we still aren't contributing ANYTHING to savings so we had to pull that from our rent money for September. Luckily, we have amazingly forgiving landlords and were able to pay them half on September 5 and half on the 12th. But now we're stuck in a hole. That set us back a little bit on saving for NEXT month's rent. Which could snowball into a lot of other issues.
I need a money tree.
Luckily, Jerome is putting in a LOT of overtime and I just finished a pay period at the bookstore with a LOT of hours so there is money coming in. AND Jerome just got a new position at work; it's not necessarily a promotion but it does come with a decent pay raise. That money will be nice once it starts coming in. Yeah, you read that right. Jerome has been in this new position for almost 2 months and hasn't seen a dime of that raise. No, in case you were wondering, that's not legal. But he will be getting retro pay for all of the hours he's put in since then without this pay raise. This raise is like $2-3 more than he currently makes (or so we're expecting), so the retro pay should be very very very nice. It's just a matter of being patient until then, LOL.
Just thought you were interested about where we stand on all that. We're looking forward to being able to pay off a huge chunk of debt once that retro check comes in. Until then, though, I feel like we're hemorrhaging money. (Especially when I realize that I didn't click the "finalize" button on 2 of my payments I made last week... and we lose another $150.)
BUT don't think that I have forgotten about my pledge. There's only NINE DAYS left of the 30.30.30 campaign and only NINE DAYS for you to comment on this post. Do it. Do it. Do it. Especially since Kait is matching whatever I donate. And seriously $4 seems pretty wimpy right now...
When J let us adopt Paulie, he was worried because I've had a history of cat allergies. Like, I'd go to my aunt and uncle's for Christmas (they have a few cats) and within twenty minutes of walking through the door, my mom and I would be sniffling and trying to avoid scratching our eyes. Then I was a before and after school caregiver to three kids in West County and they had two cats -- never had a reaction. I'm not really sure why I responded to my aunt and uncle's cats and not that family's cats, but I did.
J wanted to get a dog but we were still in an apartment (now we're in a condo) which meant no yard and I didn't want to do that to a dog. So we compromised and got a kitty. And guess what? NO ALLERGIES. I was ecstatic. We even got a brother for Paulie when my friend had to get rid of her cat Sebastian. Still nothing.
But the last three weeks or so? Oh. My. Goodness. Runny nose, scratchy throat, itchy eyes... I think it's more related to my allergies that are going haywire. Because the mold and ragweed counts are so high, it's irritating to be around my boys. Which is so sad, because Paulie is a creeper and I'm usually the first one up in the morning and he is literally RIGHT there in my face the second my alarm goes off.
I can't wait for colder weather just because it means my allergies will be gone.
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Don't forget about the 30.30.30 campaign. I will donate $1 for every unique commenter on this post. I've only had two, so c'mon! There's only 13 days left!
I love Google Reader. I'm able to keep up with a lot of bloggers I enjoy reading all on one site. You should check it out if you like to read a lot of blogs.
Bryan Allain is a guy I found through Stuff Christians Like. He writes about life, faith, and the Amish (he lives in Lancaster County, PA). Often he's funny but he has some really serious and thought provoking stuff, too. For the month of September (30 days), he and 29 other bloggers (30) are trying to raise $30,000 for wells in Africa. Back when the earthquake hit Haiti, I had some friends who pledged to give money in earthquake relief for every comment their blog received. I am doing that here.
From now until September 30, I will donate $1 for every comment on here.
Did you know that $20 can provide clean water for 1 person for 20 years? Think of what you spend $20 on every week. Every day, even.
Jerome wants me to cap this, but I think that God is leading me to do this, so I'm going to let Him move. =)
I admit it. I am a TV junkie. With the addition of AT&T U-Verse to our household (LOVE, by the way) that means I can record up to FOUR shows at a time. This does not help my TV addiction, LOL. I am happy to report that most of the shows I watch, I also with with the hubby. Here's a look at what I watch each night, along with their premiere dates, just in case you were wondering. =)
SUNDAY
Desperate Housewives * ABC 8PM * September 26 (don't laugh... it's more of a bonding thing with a girlfriend of mine than a full interest in the show. it's good for some laughs!)
MONDAY
Weeds * Showtime * August 16 (watch this one online when I can find it since we ended our movie package)
How I Met Your Mother * CBS 7PM * September 20
Castle * ABC 9PM * September 20
TUESDAY
Glee * Fox 7PM * September 21
Raising Hope * Fox 8PM * September 21 (this is a new one... gonna give it a shot... as if I need more to watch, LOL)
Life Unexpected * CW 9PM * September 14
Parenthood * NBC 9PM * September 21
WEDNESDAY
Better With You * ABC 7:30PM * September 22 (also a new one... I love the girl in it that was on Reba)
Modern Family * ABC 8PM * September 22
Cougar Town * ABC 8:30PM * September 22
Law & Order: SVU * NBC 8PM * September 22
I'm home from work with a migraine today. Slept until about 10:30 which was nice and actually feel a little better. I felt real bad about not going in, though, because it's the first time my new co-teacher will be without me or my former co-teacher (who is now part time). Hopefully the kids don't walk all over her!
Anyway, I really want to do a 101 in 1,001. BUT... I don't even know where to start. Those of you who have done one, how did you start to wrap your head around it??
This song by Todd Agnew is one of those that has been resonating in my heart for the last few weeks. I don't know if that's because God is challenging me or because it goes right along with what we're talking about in youth group this year. At any rate, it's called "If You Wanted Me" off of his Better Questions CD.
You can find the lyrics at the bottom of this post.
I think what I love most about this song is that it's real, it's prayerful, it's challenging. God calls us to do so many things that we hesitate to do because they're out of our comfort zone. Look at the first verse: Todd admits that he would have laughed at something Jesus told a disciple to do. Who wouldn't? "Walk on water? Really? Are you smokin' something?" I probably would have had the same kind of reaction. Then, "If you wanted me to walk on water, why'd you make the solid ground feel so right?" God, if you're challenging me to do something so crazy like that, why does my life seem so comfortable?
My favorite lines are the last two: "If you wanted me to surrender, why'd you make these hands able to hold on so tight?/If you wanted me to be like You, why'd You make me like me?"
This year in youth group we're going to talk about "walking the talk." What does it mean to follow Jesus? What does it look like to give up everything for Him? I know that I struggle with following through with the promises we make when we worship. Following, trusting, etc. are easy to sing and talk about but to live it out? VERY hard. And it's easy for me to say, "I live a Christian life" because I'm not a partier -- I don't drink or smoke, I'm not a big swearer. But does that really make me a Christian? Doubtful; if anything it just makes me a good person.
I struggle with the everyday, reading the Bible, praying ceaselessly, meditating on scripture aspect of my faith. DO I trust in God's plan for me? Absolutely. Do I believe that when I die I will spend eternity with Him? No doubt in my mind. But do I LOOK like a follower of Christ? I mean, beneath the cross necklace and the crosses on my wedding ring and the occasional Christian t-shirt, what do I look like? This is something I sincerely hope God keeps challenging me on this school year so that I can challenge my kids.
I'll admit I'm glad we're not disciples
Out on a lake paralyzed with fright
'Cause I'm afraid I might have laughed at Peter
Until he stepped into that stormy night
If You wanted me to walk on water
Why'd You make this solid ground seem so right?
I'll admit I'm glad I'm not King David
Ruling over everything I see
'Cause I think I've fallen for more than Bathsheba
Your creation's a temptation for me
If You wanted me to love You only
Why'd you make the moonlight sparkle in her eyes? I'll admit I'm glad I'm not John the Baptist
In a jail cell waiting for my day to die
'Cause at least down here I know what we're chasing
And it's hard to trust Your dreams are so much better than mine
If You wanted me to die to myself
Why'd You make me fall so deeply in love with life?
If You wanted me to surrender
Why'd You make these hands able to hold on so tight?
If You wanted me to be like You
Why'd You make me like me?
Hello? Is anybody out there? A few months ago, I made a post about questions. Ask me anything. In reading Lauren's and Kristal's answers, I remembered how much I wanted to do this. So, here's a reminder: ask me anything! Seriously, I would love to answer any questions y'all have, but you have to ask it first. =)
I'm looking for another job. Preferably in a school district's early childhood center, but most likely just at another preschool. My asst. director and I don't see eye to eye on a LOT of issues. She's way too concerned about having parents happy, and often times flat out hides things from them. She doesn't treat her staff nicely, either. There are a lot of stories I could tell to gripe and complain, but I'm not going to in this forum because they just aren't nice things.
What breaks my heart is the idea of leaving the kids behind. I have grown to love all of them -- even the ones who drive me cuh-razy somtimes. Their smiles and hugs and the things that they say all make me laugh a lot during the day. But I need to leave in order to regain some kind of sanity in my life.
Don't worry, I will find something before I quit. That's the first thing a friend said to me and while I appreciate the concern, I am thinking about these things. I actually applied for a job as a library assistant at a local school district that pays pretty well and I'm well qualified for it. And it would be a nice foot int he door, as the say. Hopefully it works out.
Lots of prayers are appreciated!! Hopefully I find something quickly so that I can quit stressing.
I was really thinking that with both youth groups ending in May that I would have some extra time to myself. Extra time? What's that? Yeah right!!! I AM still working 2 jobs, after all! And I had to plan for our mission trip. And, you know, GO on the mission trip!
What it comes down to is that I can't say No. Well, depending on what it is. SO I have a few posts coming up that might interest you, including but not limited to my mission trip to West Virginia last week (which I know my mother is DYING to read about!). So stay tuned...
See, you would THINK that once youth group ended for the summer that I would actually have some time to myself. Yeah. Right. I'm still working 2 jobs, remember? And doing some sitting on the side. And finalizing plans for the mission trip. And teaching CPR. Cur-azy.
At least I've have SOME time for myself. One of the highlight of my summer so far have included a few trips down to camp, including just the other night to closing campfire. It was second session closing, and that has been my favorite (yet incredibly bittersweet) of the summer since 2002. This is the campfire that marks not only the halfway point of the summer, but it also marks a milestone in some campers' lives. This is the fire when the CITs (and, to be fair, AWITs) graduate. Many of you may remember that I was CIT director (that's Counselor-in-Training, for those not up to speed on the lingo) for 3 years at my summer camp. I thoroughly enjoyed that job, and second session closing was always a lot of fun. Even though I was saying good bye to them, I was also sending them out into the next chapter of their lives at camp. As Director, I had 21 girls complete the CIT program (29 if you include the group I started but didn't finish), and 14 of them went on to work either the summer after graduation or more.
It's fun knowing that a place that impacted you so much has been impacted by you, too. These girls who are working now are MY kids. I helped them learn who they are and to embrace it. I helped them learn how to encourage others to do that. I taught them how to handle homesickness and trouble kids, and how to spot child abuse, and how to be a positive role model. I know I'm not the only person in their lives to have done that, but I am one of the most significant, in the camp sense. They're going out as counselors and helping young girls develop a sense of self worth, a sense of who they are, and helping them find a love of camp.
It's hard to believe that when my mom first suggested I go to camp back in 1994 that it would turn into something life changing, and something that would play a crucial role in my emotional development. But it did, because 5 staff members opened their arms to an awkward little girl and loved her. I can't have been easy to tolerate -- I was 8 and in Border Village. I have memories of calling for a counselor -- Fraggle -- in the middle of the night because I was homesick or scared of the dark. I've lived in Border Village, and trust me, it's definitely not easy tolerating the girls at 2 in the morning -- but she did.
Anyway, 6 more joined the ranks on Thursday night, and I got to go to campfire to watch them graduate (one of my own was CIT Counselor... Mama was proud!!). I cried, just like I always do, but I didn't BAWL until after they were announced as "Former CITs." I lost it when we gave the title of "Honorary CIT" to an amazing camp director, a woman who came to camp as a Unit Leader in 2001 (my CIT 1 year, in fact), and found a passion for it, just like I did. She didn't get to go through the CIT program, which is more like a family. She didn't get to experience the traditions and past times. She wasn't able to participate in Green Trees and Taps with all of the Formers at the close of every campfire -- even though she felt a connection to this place too.
When Rosethorn went up to announce what the Formers had unanimously decided, she almost cried -- and she's NOT a crier. She was eloquent and heartfelt and when she said Smiles's name, Smiles sat there, kind of shocked for a while. Then she stood up and started walking up to us. And then the staff stood and cheered. Then the campers. This woman has made more of an impact on Cedarledge than I ever could. She's kind, and full of love, and her name is fitting because she is ALWAYS smiling. She loves to laugh. She loves ranch dressing. She loves dining hall shenanigans. She knows how to straddle that ever-delicate line of friend and authority figure. And EVERYONE recognizes that.
Smiles, I don't know if you will ever read this, but thank you for your commitment to camp. Thank you for your commitment to showing girls respect -- for others and for themselves. Thank you for sacrificing your summer -- a "vacation" to work at camp year after year. Your impact will be felt for years to come down there, and elsewhere because I know you impacted me.
So the other night I took a long trip down memory lane. As a kid, my brother and I LOVED Bill Harley. We had a few tapes of his, which we listened to a lot. He's a songwriter/storyteller who is beloved by a lot of people because of his humor and ability to make stories fun. Anyone around my age who grew up St. Louis remember the kids' station? Back before 95.5 was an R&B station, it played songs geared to kids, and there is where I heard a lot of Bill Harley. I loved that station. When I was a Brownie Scout and my mom was our leader, she arranged for a field trip to their station and I got to talk on the radio and meet the DJs. Good memories.
Anyway, this particular story-song has always been in the back of my mind. It's a story about procrastinating on homework. He had to write a report in sixth grade on Zanzibar and instead wrote a song about it. I can't for the life of my find an MP3 link to post on here, but I did find it on iTunes. The whole tape. It's two stories and a song and it's only $2!!! I was very excited to find it.
Here are the lyrics to the song, in case you remember, like me:
Oh my goodness, where does time go? I cannot believe that Makenzie is four. She's not mine, but I love her so much. Doesn't hurt that her momma is my bestest friend, either, LOL.
That with youth group ending for the summer that I would have more time on my hands. Nope. Not at all. The problem really lies in the fact that I can't say no, LOL.
Revolution (sr. high) ended the Monday before Memorial Day. In that time, I have taught 2 CPR classes (will teach my last one till next June tomorrow), helped with three night of VBS, and I'm still working both jobs. Exhausting? Definitely.
I am certified to teach CPR, AED, and First Aid so I help out at camp every year. On the 3rd I taught the staff at Cedarledge, last week I taught the CITs, and tomorrow I will teach at Tuckaho. These are 9 hours each, mind you. In the HEAT since there's no A/C. Last week was fun, though, because I got there early enough to enjoy breakfast, stayed for lunch, then went out with a friend on her night off. (We went to Diablo McGee's, in case anyone is wondering...) Lots of fun, but I didn't get home till almost 11.
Our church teams up with the church that uses our facility in the evenings - Mercy Road - to do VBS. Their children's ministry is slightly bigger than ours, but we have a lot more adults will to help out, plus they can split the cost, which you know is always a good thing. This year we went with Group's EGYPT package. It's the story of Joseph and how God gives us hope. They used the story of how Joseph was sold into slavery and then got thrown in jail, but still ended up becoming one of the rulers of Egypt. Jeremiah 29:11 was one of our theme verses. The kids had a lto of fun, and it's easy for me because I'm just a shepherd, leading the kids to each of the three areas (snack/craft, game, story). But after a day full of wrangling two year olds? I'm exhausted!
Speaking of my favorite kids. Remember my last post when I talked about the girl who cried all the time? She came back today (the first time since that post was written) and she only cried for about five minutes in the morning and for just a little bit right before her dad was supposed to come and get her! Like, I didn't even recognize the kid! It was splash day, which are always fun. I mean that literally and sarcastically. I love watching the kids play around in the water, and spray the with the hose, but getting them in and out of their suits is a hassle. Today we had 16 and they were nuts -- especially since two of the younger boys decided they hated each other recently and were being major bullies to each other, and to the other kids. Insanity. Here's a shot from Splash Day:
Technically it's from last week, but they're stll cute. Those are my "problem children:" very independent, very headstrong. Thus, they are two of my favorite kids. (I blurred out their faces 'cause you get pretty good looks at them and I want to protect their privacy... you understand...)
AND I got to see Miss Makenzie for the first time in almost a year! (I took her to the zoo shortly before she turned 3... she'll be 4 on SATURDAY!) Not only that, but Jen and Rob too. Sunday was very exciting for me. She played with the boys while J, Jen, Rob, and I chatted in the kitchen. I let her play with my camera and she actually took some decent shots. I think we have a budding photographer on our hands! Observe:
And here we are being the responsible adults that we really are, LOL:
So far it's been a good summer, but I'll be glad when our mission trip is over in July because that's also wearing me out. Didn't realize how much planning went into that! BTW, if you're looking to Rent a Teen, let me know! =)
...Make me not want children, LOL. Everyone asks me if my job is good birth control and honestly it's usually not. My 2's are so loving and huggable and I love their laughter and smiles... Makes my ovaries hurt just thinking about how much I want to be a mom. But then I have days like today. I imagine the same thing happens once you're actually a parent, though; you're like "why did I have kids?"
We have a new girl in our class who doesn't speak a lick of English and has never been in daycare before. All of this equals a clingy, screaming child. Dad left her there for the whole day which meant nap time was AWFUL because I had to keep her quiet while the rest of the kids napped because she wouldn't friggin' lie down and sleep.
I was so frustrated all day, especially because I felt like the office wasn't listening to my concerns about her. And my favorite challenge kiddo, K, hit me in the face. Good times, lemme tell ya.
On the lighter side, I love the rest of my kids almost all the time. On Monday when I was in the room next door, one of our kids who is potty trained as far as "number 1" goes still poops her pants. EVERY afternoon, but never at the same time so we can be sure to sit her ont he potty. Well she pooped in her pants on Monday and Katie went through the usual, "Where do you go poop? And where DID you go poop?" Well, her answer ot the latter was NOT "in my underwear" like she usually says. Instead she said, "In library by the books." WHAT?! I didn't want to know where you were WHILE you were poopin'. Ha ha.
And that same challenge child, K, was outside and tripped, falling back onto her butt. She got right back up and said, "It's okay... I bounced."
And because blog posts are never complete without photos, apparently, here is a shot of some of my kids picking flowers.
So last night I was trying to think of what to cook for dinner. I am NOT adventurous and have little experience with cooking anything that isn't out of a box, so I can't just say, "Oh we have X, Y, and Z... Let's make A!" Nope, doesn't work that way. As a result, J and I eat a LOT of pasta, taco salad, and baked chicken. Said baked chicken is usually marinated in Italian dressing (we tried a lemon pepper marinade once and it bubble over the sides of the pan I was using and I had to scrape it off the next day because my oven would smoke when I turned it on). Or we grill it, either with Italian dressing or BBQ sauce.
Last night I knew I wanted to try SOMETHING a little different. We have no pork or beef, so it chicken it was... but WHAT? HOW? I logged on to allrecipes.com and typed in chicken and slow cooker and, of course a bajillion recipes came up, but then I found this one:
Best of all? I already had EVERY SINGLE ingredient (which doesn't happen often in my hosue because, like I said, I'm not a cook). So I hoped and prayed that J would put the chicken I pulled out and the sauce I made into the crock pot before leaving for work, and that my crock pot wouldn't burn it before I got home.
Verdict: Amazing. Incredibly simple, and completely delicious. This will probably become a staple in our menu. I love the feeling of success I have now that I've taken that first leap and made something off of the internet. Because, honestly? It's not liek I burn water or anything, but I'm so uneasy about cooking in general that it freaks me out if I'm not using a box or something from a jar. OR popping something in the oven out of the freezer. But I'm sure to cook much more often now that A) My first foray has been successful, and B) I almost have all of my weeknights back.
Remember my New Year's Resolutions? Remember the list of books I said I would read? I am halfway failing at this resolution, but only because I haven't touched any of the books on my list. I have, however, read 2 books on faith that I know will help my in my role as a youth minister.
Your Own Jesus: A God Insistent on Making it Personal This one was written by Casting Crowns' front man Mark Hall. He begins the book by telling of a time when he wanted to take his own life because of a breakup with a girl he thought he would marry -- in high school. He talks about how he knew who Jesus and God were -- he had, after all, been baptized at 7 -- but he didn't KNOW them. In college was when he really started living life with a real relationship with God. The whole book is full of stories relating back to this point. We can talk about God and Jesus all we want, but until we really own our relationship with Him, until we truly seek Him and His will for us, it's not REAL. This book was awesome. It's easy to read while still having substance.
Forgotten God: Reversing Our Tragic Neglect of the Holy Spirit This is Francis Chan's second book, after the huge hit "Crazy Love." I haven't read Crazy Love yet because he tells the read to do a lot of stuff on the computer and since I read at work while the kids are napping I can't exactly do that. Anyway, in this book, Chan addresses the discrepancy that is taking over the church: we aren't living as if the Spirit is in us. Chan writes in a way that is engaging and convicting, pointing out that many Christians' lives don't look that much different from nonbelievers because of this reason -- we aren't letting the Holy Spirit move in us. Great book with a great message!
I'll try and write a little more about each of these at a later date. I'm currently reading The Screwtape Letters for a second time. I was in high school the first time I read it and I'm getting a lot more out of it now that I'm older and more mature in my faith. I love how C.S. Lewis writes from the POV of demons. If you haven't heard of or read the book, it's a series of "letters" written by Screwtape, an elder demon, to his nephew Wormwood, on how to be an effective tempter to his "patient." Lewis is basically saying, "Be careful because this is how it gets to you, watch out!" But when told like this, I definitely pay attention better. I leave you with an excerpt from it (remember the POV from which it it told):
We want cattle who can finally be food; He wants servants who fan finally become sons. We want to suck in; He wants to give out. We are empty and would be filled; He is full and flows over.
SO, my friend Lauren did this and I planned on doing a post. Then I logged in to Google Reader and saw that Stephanie did the same thing. So, I'm going to look like a total copier, but I don't care!
Ask me anything in the comments area and I will do my best to answer them all quickly and honestly.
I want to sit and write this while my week is still pretty fresh in my head. This is a long one, so if you need a bathroom break or a snack, you better go get it.
As I mentioned in my quick post, this ranch takes in about 20-25 boys in the foster care system in Georgia. Some are only there for a short time while their parents work out arrangements with the courts, others have had parental rights permanently suspended and are looking for forever homes. Many of the boys come from abuse and neglect. Others have parents who are addicted to drugs, in jail, or dead. A few have been in jail themselves. All of them come to the ranch lost, and while staying there, get found.
I'm not saying that they have some kind of spiritual revival there, necessarily, but all of these boys come from backgrounds in which they don't know what love is. not REAL love. They don't think they're good enough to be loved. If they've gotten into trouble, they wonder if they can ever be forgiven.
And then they meet Zach. And John. And Trudy. And Rachel, Kris, Jen, Joanna... EVERYONE who works on that ranch has taken to heart the mission Jesus gives us to serve the orphans and widows in James 1:27, and to serve "the least of these" )Matthew 25). They KNOW what it means to be the presence of Christ to a lost and broken world, because the boys they come to know and love ARE broken. On this ranch, there is healing.
On this ranch, there is God.
Being able to come down in my group of 13 -- people from ALL over the country -- was an honor. A privilege. A blessing. Yeah, that's it: a blessing. We arrived in Atlanta on Monday complete strangers and somehow, on the hour long van ride to the ranch and through lunch, we became a team. This team was able to gravel a road in 2 hours. This team converted a horse stall into a room and tore down a few walls in the barn to make a school. This team cleaned out an old pump house and helped lay an irrigation system. And this team loved.
I can honestly say that this mission trip was more personal than one I've ever been on in the past. I loved getting to know Chester in October of '07, and hearing the story of Nick and his family's struggles after Rita, and working on the trailer on the shore that was destroyed later that year by Hurricane Ike. But nothing hit me the way that those boys did. I don't know if it's my heart for youth ministry or my passion for teaching or what, but something about them made me stop and go, "Huh."
On Wednesday night we had a service down by their lake and 2 of the boys gave their testimony. One had been on the ranch for only 3 weeks and said, "I feel loved." I don't know much about his story, but I do know that fifteen year old boys do not openly talk about their feelings. And it was the way he said it, the emotion you could hear in his voice that gave it all away. The other boy had been on the ranch for 5 years and in his story, he said, "I don't know God exists because of the trees and everything around me, even though they're beautiful. I know God exists because of the people here on the ranch."
Love.
Do we ever give enough of it away? Do we ever, truly, love unconditionally? I'm not sure I do all the time. I know that there are thoughts that come through my head that I'm ashamed of, that aren't loving. It's human nature, right? And yet... The people on the ranch. The houseparents, the office staff, the administration... THEY know what love really is and they show it to these beautiful, broken boys every day, and help lead them to healing.
SO I was challenged last week. To really remove all of the filters in my heart. Do I love like I should? Not yet. But I want to. The impact that those adults had on those boys is why I want to be a teacher. I want kids to know that they are loved, that they are worth something, that they can be healed. Especially if they are from broken homes like so many of those boys.
The other thing that struck me this week about the boys was how eager the boys were to serve. They served each other, their houseparents, us... It's like pulling teeth sometimes to get my high school youth kids to do something, and these boys were more than eager to use the power tools to install that floor. They were eager to get us more food or another soda, or to clear our plate. And they were eager to shovel rocks all over a road. I'm 24 and I know that I would never want to get up at 8:00AM on MY spring break to move rocks around on a road. BUT THEY DID. Whether they wanted to or not, they did it. And I didn't hear a gripe out of any of them.
Can that be said of me? Of you?
Certainly not of me. There were a few moments today, even, that I caught myself complaining about the work I had to do (especially when one girl needed a dirty diaper changed... it was bad, people). I'm challenging myself to be aware of my thoughts. TO be more positive. To serve.
Life-changing. God-inspired. Challenging. Refreshing. Renewing. There are dozens of words I can use to describe my trip. But the lessons I learned, and the challenges I now face can't be summed up in words or this post would never end. I hope to go back to GVBR. And maybe I will next year. I don't know, we'll see where God leads me. But one thing is for sure: The person I was when I got on the plane in St. Louis Monday morning is not the person I was when I got off of it on Friday. And to that, I say, "Hallelujah."
I am working on a more detailed post, but for now here are some fun facts about my trip:
1. It was my first time on a plane in almost 10 years. And this plane was tiny! i guess Delta Connection flights always are. it only last about 80 minutes, which was nice.
2. John Blend bought the property in Waleska, GA, in 1982 (I think...)
3. He turned it into the Boys' Ranch in the mid-90's.
4. It is 100% a Christian environment. The boys are required to go to church each week, the family units begin each day with a devotion and prayer, the only music allowed on the ranch is Christian (rock, rap, worship, whatever, as long as it praises his name it's in).
5. The Ranch sits on 300+ acres. There are horses, cows, and 2 dogs from a neighboring property. There are 5 houses for the boys and the houseparents, 2 barns, a pavilion where we ate all of our meals, an admin. building, and an ooooold farm house.
6. One of their goals (and something we worked on) is to turn the barn into a school. Several of the boys are waaaay behind in their studies, so some will exclusively go to school on the ranch while others get tutored in the areas they need.
7. Zach, John's son, is incredibly involved with how the Ranch runs. He's getting married in May to his lovely fiancee Rachel who also has a passion for the ministry of this ranch.
8. John gave the Independent Living boys (4 of them in that house) copies of Do Hard Things by the Harris twins. I have read this book and it is PHENOMENAL. John challenged them to really go out and "do hard things" so they started Good Things Barbecue and Catering Company. They cooked for us all week (except for dinner Tuesday and lunch on Thursday and Friday). It was soooooo good!
9. We had a talent show on Thursday in which we all did skits w/ the boys of the house we ate at on Tues. Such a riot! And we put together a band combining a few of us missionaries, the boys, and houseparents. It was awesome!
10. I have never felt so much love and compassion, or seen so much of Jesus incarnate as I did in that place. Even thought there was about 20 boys on the property, Zach and John not only knew each one by name, but knew what their stories were and why they were there. The boys, who have never known what love is, come to this ranch and suddenly understand what they've been missing.
My week was AMAZING. I just spent the week in Atlanta working at a boys' ranch. I will post more on it tomorrow 'cause I"m BEAT, but I wanted to let you know that I have been out of touch from the "real" world -- no Facebook or Google Reader. I will catch up as fast as I can, as well as post a real entry about my week. For now, I leave you with this photo:
I think I may have figured out why I don't have a teaching job. I can't go into details, but God planted something in my heart last night. At least, I think it was Him. At any rate, prayers would be appreciated, that I might be able to figure out if it's God or me, and whether this idea is right for me and J.
Thursday Jerome and I bought a car. it's a 2005 Nissan Sentra (oh, how I miss MY old Sentra... sniff...) with 76,000 miles on it. And, Jerome is always quick to point out, a stick. We got a great deal on it and it was a pretty quick and painless procedure. We test drove, we said we like it but we're only willing to pay $x amount per month, any higher and we walk. So they gave us the price we wanted (which was actually about $20/mo less than we could actually afford!) and we (well, J) got a brand new car. It was so nice being a two-car family.
Yes, I did say was.
Remember the fiascos I was having back in June with my car? how I had, like, 3 starters put in within a week?? Well, my car decided last night that it didn't want to start. Again. And it's 6,000 out of the 12,000 mile warranty on the part. Well FML.
Well, it started this morning so we drove it the 1 mile to the South branch of the shop we always take it to and dropped it off, then J drove me to work. My grandma was supposed to come pick me up at 3 for a doctor's appointment to remove and ingrown toenail, but they sent my home at 10:30, so J has to drive and pick me up, then take me home, then go to work ('cause I can't drive a stick yet!).
After I get my nastiness removed off of my foot, I called the garage for an update. Diagnosis: Lagging Starter
BUT
He said he didn't care that we were 6,000 miles outside of warranty, he knows how much trouble we've had with this starter before, so he's replacing it. FOR FREE. And the diagnostics test he had to run? On the house.
At least in the blog world, LOL. This post is a day late because our weekend was CRAZY. I'll post about all that later. (BTW... Blogger is being annoying and not letting me add ANY photos! So this post is dumb without those but I accidentally hit Publish, so all my Reader friends and my mom and grandpa -- who subscribe via e-mail -- will get notification of this anyway. Le sigh...)
Five (!!) years ago, I had a friend, and we realized that we both wanted to be more than just friends.
Three years ago (on Wednesday), he asked me to marry him.
One year ago, we said our I dos.
Our life over the last five years -- and the last one, especially -- has been full of ups and downs.
But I haven't regretted any of it.
I love my husband, and I can't wait for what the future holds.
The day after Easter, I'm headed to Georgia for a mission trip with work. (Not my new work, my old work... FCS.) We'll be working at the Goshen Valley Boys Ranch, which works with teenage boys in foster care. I'm really excited, but I have a favor to ask.
If I know any of you personally (or if any of you STLWed gals will be at the GNO on the 26th), will you help me provide donations? I want to bring down things like boxer shorts, t-shirts, deodorant, etc., for the boys. Let me know int he comments if you'd like to help. If you won't see me before then, e-mail me at phlpns314jlf at yahoo dot com and we can figure out a place to meet up or I'll give you my address and you can mail your donations to me.
Thanks for considering and thanks in advance to those who help!!
I tried changed the HTML code to made my main/outer/sidebar wrappers bigger but it didn't work.
I use Google Chrome but it was doing it on IE8, too. And then when I posted this, the sidebar was in the right spot. Confusing? Oh, yeah.
**I've realized that if you're lookinga t a specific post/label search, it shows up right, but if you just go to the main page, it doesn't look right. SO WEIRD!!**
Been a while, hasn't it? Quick recap of my last three weeks:
We mvoed the last weekend in February to a condo that's a little smaller than our townhouse was, but the rent stayed the same, we're not being charged for the kitties, AND (bonus!) we're a Hell of a lot closer to work, church, and our families than we were before. We're really seeing Sebs' personality come out, too. In the old house it was really HIS home. It smelled like Paulie everywhere, so who could blame him for not feeling like it was his? He hid under the bed ALL THE TIME. In fact, in the week we've lived here, I think I've seen him more than in the two and a half months we had him while living at the old place.
I've got some posts to write about stuff I've been thinking about, thanks to our sermon series on the Spiritual Disciplines. It's been awesome, and has really given me (and, I assume, the rest of my church) a LOT of food for thought.
Our youth group's 30 Hour Famine is this weekend. It's basically a 30 hour period where we fast to bring recognition to the fact that BILLIONS of people are starving in the world. On Friday night, we're going to the City Museum and on Saturday we're doing a lot of service projects. Such a fun activity, and it's a great way for our kids to learn about poverty throughout the world.
My job is going well. Those kids have me laughing everyday, and it's awesome. Like little J yesterday who started singing "Pants on the ground, pants on the ground." Ha. Or K who is our "problem child" but her biggest problem is just that sometimes she doesn't listen, and she is soooo cuddly! Or another K, who will give you a big big bear hug, and then when you say "Mouse hug" will wrap her arms around you for half a second. Don't get me wrong, I'm still looking for a teaching job for the fall, but I'm loving this while I'm waiting.
That's all for now because I have to go to work. (Yay.) I'll catch up with you all later!
Once when I was telling J about Didi Benami and how she auditioned because her friend died.
Again when Angela Martin didn't make it through. I loved her the first year she auditioned and I really hope a record label scoops her up. I think it's probably for the best because now she can sign wherever she wants.
And a third time when Andy Garcia made it through.
Yes, I'm an Idol nerd. Oh, and I cannot WAIT for Glee to come back. Tuesdays = total awesomeness in April.
So here's my thoughts on AI9:
1. I think that this year a girl will win it. I think Andy Garcia or Mike Lynch will give the girls a run for their money, but ultimately a girl will take the title.
2. Top Girls:
a. Katie Stevens is a forerunner for the girls. I cannot believe she's 17. Holy mackeral she has amazing control of her voice.
b. Crystal Bowersox and awesome. She is real and I love that she's real. As I said to J tonight, "I luv her. Like, all capitals, lots of U's LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUV her."
e. Not sure how I feel about Siobhan. I think I wish her spot had been given to Angela Martin.
f. While I'm not a fan of country, I like Haeley's uniqueness, and Simon was right when he said she adapts well -- that's important in this competition.
3. Top Guys:
a. I read an article that said Michael Lynche was DQ'ed 'cause his dad talked to a newspaper about him making the Top 24. but they said he'd be performing next week, so it probably wasn't true. His little girl is precious, and I'm so glad that he made it to the Top 24 and that missing his daughter's birth didn't occur in vain.
c. I wish Thaddeus had made it though. He was a sweet kid.
d. There were a few guys that I didn't remember, and a few that I figure will be gone very soon (i.e. Tyler Grady and Alex Lambert). The former because we don't know who he is and the latter because even though he has a good voice, he has little to no stage presence. But he's cute, so he may have the teenage girl vote.
e. Even though he is going to be a major diva, I like Todrick Hall.
It's payday. Typically on payday, after I pay the bills, I have a slight panic attack: "How in the HECK are we going to make it on X amount of $$ for the next two weeks??"
Not this time.
Because I get paid next week.
Almost as much as we got paid today.
So nice to be able to breathe!!
(PS: I'm pretty proud of my new layout, so you should come out of Google Reader and check it out!)
Anyone ever worked in a room of two-year-olds? Yeah, it's EXHAUSTING. I mean, I'm used to running around after kids so that wasn't the shocker. I can do dirty diapers, I can do tantrums, etc. But multiply that by 13 and I'm ready for bed (and if you look at the time stamp on this entry, it's not even 9PM yet!)
So my new job is as a 2's teacher at a preschool in O'Fallon. They had combined all their two-year-olds into one class when enrollment dropped, but that meant you had kids who were one yesterday all the way up to kids who would be three tomorrow. That kind of an age gap. And if you have ever had kids, worked with kids, or remember BEING a kid, you know what kid of a difference that is mentally, socially, physically, and emotionally. So they're splitting 'em back up, which means they needed another teacher. Which is where I come in.
The ad I responded to on Craigslist called for someone with good parent communication skills (check!), able to create and execute lesson plans (check!), is flexible (check!), and organized (super big CHECK!). We corresponded all weekend and she asked if I could come in on Monday morning for an interview and a working interview. I mentioned it was my birthday and I had plans but would rearrange if needed but she said she needed the position killed ASAP. I think it worked to my advantage because she said, "Sorry you had to come in on your birthday." I was like, "It's all good... the way I look at it, if I get the job it'll be like the best birthday present ever."
Obviously I got it. And I'm ecstatic. We will actually have money. That lasts longer than two days! Oh, and I get paid on opposite weeks as J, which means we will actually have money coming in every week. How awesome is that???
I'm 24 today. I poked fun at J for being 25 (a quarter of a century old) and he says just wait till next year, LOL.
Today we had a party with my in-laws. My father-in-law and his sister were born on New Years' Eve 2 years apart and Pam turned 50. She and her husband also celebrated 25 years together recently. Another of J's aunt also had a birthday recently so Pam thought we were getting together at O'Charley's for a small family birthday party, but her kids had invited any of their friends who were able to come and there was at least a good 40 people there. I didn't expect it to also be a birthday gift exchange for all of us, but I got gifts/ cards from Grandma & Grandpa, my FIL, and 3 aunts/uncles. It was a good time. (Oh -- and the Baked Penne Italiano there is to DIE for!)
I'm using birthday money to buy good tickets to see Casting Crowns in April with J. I wasn't able to go the last time they were in town, so I'm very excited about this. Just today between my FIL and my aunt (in-law), we got enough for one ticket. This concert is going to be AMAZING and I cannot wait!
Two of my friends on STLWed had their babies this past week. Congrats to Lisa on the arrival of Olivia on Monday 1/25 and Kristal on the arrival of Isaac on 1/27! Both moms and babies are doing well. Kristal has been fully up front and honest with us through her whole pregnancy, including her birth story, which I really appreciate. We are waiting till after our 2nd anniversary to even THINK about getting pregnant, but this gal still has babies on the brain -- MAJORLY. On a side note, J and I have been debating about whether or not we will find out the sex of our still not conceived, not even close, still hypothetical child. He says he doesn't want to be surprised, I do. He finally caved. We'll be surprised with our first. He says we'll find out our second, but I think we'll like the surprise so much that we'll do it again. This is, of course, God willing that we get pregnant with our own babies.
On a last note, I HAVE A JOB INTERVIEW IN THE MORNING!!! It's with a preschool in Winghaven for a 2's teacher. It's an interview/working interview, and let me tell you that it's the HARDEST time I've had deciding what to wear. I want to look professional, but at the same time, I'll be down on the floor with toddler, so I don't want to be too nice. Anyway, I'm excited and I really hope that they decide to give me the best birthday present ever!
Since my last few posts have been total downers, I need to back up and count my blessings.
1. I have an amazing husband who loves and supports me.
2. I have two adorable cats who are FINALLY getting along.
3. I have wonderful family who is always willing to help us out of a jam.
4. I at least have A job (or, rather... 7). While it may not be a full time job in education, it helps us pay the bills.
5. My church family is awesome. 'Nuff said.
6. My God loves me and while I may be frustrated and feel at my wit's end about this job thing, He does have His own timeline and will lead me to the right job in the right time (AKA HIS time).
And here is a song that I love to listen to and jam out. It's a reminder that we are God's and our life is His.
