When I Grow Up, I Want To... {Blogtember Challenge}

I am so excited that it's day three, and I'm still completing the Blogtember Challenge! What a great way to get me refocused on blogging consistently again.

September 3rd Prompt: "When I grow up, I want to be ..." Feel free to answer as your 5-year-old self or as of now.

If I answered as my 5-year-old self, I would want to be a furniture mover, garbage woman (jumping off the back of the truck just looked SO fun), or a bat (yes, the animal)... so I better answer with my choice for now.

I am a teacher by trade, but I'm not currently employed. I know that I do belong teaching kids... or teenagers, specifically. I love it, and they energize me. They're just so much fun, and I learn as much from them as they do from me.

That said, I also LOVe my current gig, which is crafting full time and selling my products in my Etsy shop.

But I also just cannot wait to be a stay at home mom one day. As of now, my husband is calling me a "stay-at-home cat mom" when describing me. Hmm.

And last but not lease, my DREAM is to be the next great American author. I have been writing since I could hold a pencil, and it is my true passion. Blogging is an outlet for me, but I also write fiction... on my own computer... that no one ever reads. I think I need a little more confidence in my writing before I share it with others, but I'm working on it.

What do YOU want to be when you "grow up"?
Is it the same or different from when you were 5?

Another School Year Bites the Dust

Yesterday was my last day teaching at the school my heart will forever be with.

I spent my last two years teaching retained 8th graders. They came to us SUPER low. Our job is to get them up to grade level so they are ready for high school.

That wasn't the toughest part of the job, though. Loving on these kids and trying to get them where they need to be socially was.

Most of them threw out language like a sailor and didn't know how to be socially appropriate for their age.

Those kids are who my heart is with. Those are the kids I long to work with. Those are the kids who need help the most, and those are the ones who NEED it and DESERVE it the most.

I will be hard-pressed to find another school that fits me better, but maybe one day I will.

Because I am leaving to move to Ohio with my soon-to-be hubby, I wanted to make something special for my co-workers. They are amazing, and I will miss them a lot!

I had our awesome students come up with as many adjectives as they could think of to describe each staff member a few weeks ago. They knew it was a big secret for a gift for the staff members, so they kept their mouths shut for TWO FULL WEEKS. I was so impressed, and the adjectives they came up with were pretty stellar as well.

I blurred out the school name, but you get the idea.

That one is mine. My name changed ONE WEEK from today! Ahh!

• What was your favorite job ever?
• Do you hate leaving a job when you move too?

Why I Teach

Right now, I couldn't be happier that it is spring break. I need this week off as much as my students. I am exhausted mentally and physically. It is wonderful to have a little time off to rest.

But I do love my job.

For those of you who don't know, I teach 8th grade language arts at an intervention school. Most of my students are retained 8th graders, meaning they are repeating the school year because their reading levels were so low (YEARS behind grade level). Some of them are first time 8th graders who were chosen to be at our school in order to catch up before it's too late. It's tough work. These are the kids who do not like school. These are the kids who have little support elsewhere in their lives. These are the kids who don't want to work hard.

That said, seeing my students all pumped up for state testing a couple weeks ago was magnificent. I mean, EVERYONE dreads state testing, but it's especially painful for the students who have never been successful in school. These kiddos worried all school year long about how their scores would be, and I am so anxious to get them back (in August). They were working their little butts off all week long. After lots of preparation, many of them feel really proud of their achievements, even if that just means they tried harder than normal and felt better about their answers than normal.

THAT is a win for me. 

I went to a couple of my boys' basketball game this week, and it was so much fun to see them in action! :) 

• What is your job?
• Do you love it, like it, or tolerate it?
• What is the best thing about your job?

Life Lately

I haven't made any personal posts lately, so I thought I'd do that this morning.

Instead of another recipe (but just wait -- more are coming!) or book review, I decided to share what's been going on lately. This is not an all-inclusive list, but it's just some things I felt like sharing with my wonderful readers. 
1. I had a three day weekend, and it was much needed. We had parent/teacher conferences at school on Wednesday night and Thursday morning last week, so we all got Friday off. Sleeping in was wonderful, and I feel slightly recharged (but I think Thanksgiving break in about a month will really do the trick). 
2. My sports teams are doing really well this year, which is a nice change. My baseball team, the Kansas City Royals, barely missed the playoffs, but they had their BEST SEASON in several years. It was so much fun to cheer them on. My favorite college team, the University of Missouri Tigers, are 7-1 this football season, which is only their second in the SEC. They are holding their own and doing EXTREMELY well. My absolute favorite team of all time, though? The Kansas City Chiefs. And they are 8-0 for the first time in TEN years. This is pure excitement on my end. It's so much more fun being a fan to a winning team... but win or lose, I've always been faithful to my Missouri sports. 
3. I got to see one of my best friends ever this weekend! Lizzie came out to Colorado to see her husband for a quick weekend while he's at training, and we were able to see each other twice, which was so wonderful. It's really hard having a long distance best friendship... we talk every single night, sometimes for hours, and it was great to see her in person and have Jack Quinn's together one more time. 

4. Reality is setting in that Cadet Lovemuffin graduates from the Air Force Academy in just 212 days. He has been working his butt off for over four years now for this, and I can't believe that the end is finally approaching (but it could still be quicker, and I'd be okay with that). I will only be his fiancée for 214 more days; after that, I will be his wife, and I could not be ANY HAPPIER about that. This has been a really long road, but I am so ready for this part of our journey to conclude. He was supposed to find out his Air Force AFSC (job) a couple weeks ago, but that has been delayed due to the government shutdown (yes, I know it's over; no, he still doesn't know when he'll find out). Keep him in your thoughts as he waits to find out because this is a HUGE deal! 

Life Is Funny That Way... {Blogtember Challenge}

Tuesday, September 10th Prompt: Describe a moment when your life took a distinct turn.

You all thought I was going to write about when I fell in love with Dan after saying that I'd never get myself into a military relationship, didn't you? Well, I'm not. Okay, I was going to, but I decided that was too overdone... so ANOTHER time my life took a distinct turn was when I changed my major at the end of my freshman year of college.

You see, when I entered college at the University of Central Missouri back in 2006, I thought I wanted to be a doctor of some kind. I didn't have anything figured out - doctor, dentist, veterinarian... you name it; I thought I could do it. And I'm sure I COULD HAVE... if I had really wanted to.

There was one distinct day, however, that sticks out in my mind as life changing. For most of my first year of college, I was a biology major/chemistry minor. I was in my Zoology class during the spring semester of my freshman year. So far, everything was fine... except I didn't really LOVE what I was doing. That day, though, we dissected a fetal pig. No biggie, right? I had dissected plenty of animals already. That pig, though... it just tore me apart. I couldn't handle it. I turned white and felt faint, and my professor suggested that I step out into the hallway for a few minutes.

Well, a few minutes passed, and I wasn't in the hallway any longer. I marched myself straight across campus and changed my major to what I thought it should be from the beginning (but had been too nervous to choose due to lack of employment opportunities). ENGLISH. I would follow my heart and major in English.

I eventually added "Education" on to my English major so I'd be able to secure a job, and I found out that I love working with teenagers. I can't imagine my life any other way, and I'm so glad I had a life changing moment in the spring of 2007 in my Zoology lab.

My name tag for my Honors' Project at UCM - it was a collection of exaggerated personal vignettes, and they were SO much fun to write! 

Right after graduation with my two best friends (and fellow English Education majors) from UCM! I'm really excited that we all keep in touch still! 

Three Month Vacation From Life {Blogtember Challenge}

Wednesday, September 4th Prompt: If you could take three months off from your current life and do anything in the world, what would you do? 

Honestly? I would go to Africa. It's always been a dream of mine. There are two specific things I want to do there. One of them would easily be accomplished in three months. The other one? It would take more time... but since this is pretend, I'll just roll with it.

First, I would love to go on several (no-kill) safaris. I am DYING to see all of my favorite animals in their natural habitats. It would be a dream come true. Seriously.

Secondly, I would teach African children. Lately, I have been feeling my heart called to sponsor a child from Africa for whatever reason. I am seriously considering doing so, but I am still looking for the perfect organization. That said, teaching in Africa would be such a unique, rewarding experience that I would cherish for the rest of my life. Who would do their actual job on three theoretical months off? Me - that's who! Maybe someday I will have the opportunity to teach overseas somewhere. You never know where life will lead you, after all.

I feel slightly uncomfortable sharing pictures of random school children in Africa (even though they are all over Google), so instead, I'll leave you with these amazing photos of animals people have taken on safaris.

What would YOU do if you had three months to do whatever you wanted?

First Week of the Year

Well, the first week of the new year has been an adventurous one.

Last Wednesday, January 2nd, I set up my new classroom. No, I don't have a new job. My school had to move to a different location, and we had just one day to get everything set up. My wonderful fiancé came in for a couple of hours, and he helped me get things set up, such as my name letters and lots of posters. He also helped me with my massive bulletin board. I am so thankful for him.

Thursday, the kiddos came back! They seemed to be happy to be there, the feeling was mutual. I was SO ready to see my students again, and I hope they ALL decide to show up this coming week instead of just 75% of them.

When the week got to Friday, something happened. I was hit by a train. No, not literally. But it certainly felt like it at the time and for the following 24 hours. I came down SUDDENLY with an awful cold around 10:00 am that day, but I persevered through the school day. On my way home, I stopped at Walgreens and bought everything I could find to fight the cold. Then, I passed out for 14 hours, from 8:00 pm until 10:00 am. It was so nice, but I still felt pretty sickly on Saturday.

Dan had a genius idea to have Indian food for lunch that day, and it sure did clear out my sinuses! Then, we went out with Michael and Lizzie that night, and Lizzie is currently staying at my place for the week. We had a lot of fun! Today, Dan and I went to the Harlem Globetrotters game, and it was a BLAST! They are so much fun, and it was a great Christmas gift. :)

As far as my goals for the year, I am doing okay. I am almost finished with one book and about halfway through another one, so I am ahead of schedule on that front. I do not have any races lined up yet, so I guess I'm a bit behind there. Oops. I have written in my "thankful" journal and my "Q&A" journal daily, though, and they are such nice outlets before going to bed. I don't know what I would do without writing. Blogging twice a week is weird, but I guess I'll be able to maintain it. If I could make 366 posts in one year, surely I can make 104 this year. Right? My spiritual journey is already expanding as I finish reading the Bible. Dan and I went to church today for the first time in a while. It was AMAZING, and I miss it. A lot. And so does he. I'm so glad we found a place where I am so comfortable, and we are going to attend a new member meeting next Sunday after worship. We have been going sporadically for the past two and a half years, but it's time to make it official. And that leads me to my final goal of being fearless. Going to a member meeting at a church is NOT in my comfort zone. This will likely be my first big test of 2013, but I am ready to tackle it head on.

How is everyone's 2013 going?