Break

Its been great being on winter break the last few days. Yesterday, I went to the doctor and I got meds for alergies. Very strange to have allergies after so many years without them.

I'm going on a date. I was told that I'm getting a suprise when he picks me up. I asked him what color it is, 'red and green'. Guess whose getting flowers... I love flowers! It's seem like years since I've met a guy that I can talk to on the phone for hours. It's awesome to be excited about someone. I was starting to think those were just feelings of the past. :D

Christmas Spirit

I have decided that for me...teaching and blogging do not mix. I cannot seem to blog anymore. Even though my life is so eventful these days.

Part 1:
For Thanksgiving I went and visited my sister Heather and my brother-in-law Christopher up in Seattle. It was so much fun and awesome to spend time with them. They bought a house so it was very cool to finally see what it looks like. They also got two cats so I got to meet their little family. My brother-in-law has the best family. It was fun to spend time and see them all again. I cannot wait to go back.

Part 2:
Most of my kiddos have nothing. This week I gave them one of their Christmas presents, early. It was a 24-count box of crayons that I had gotten at Wallmart at the beginning of the school year for 25 cents a box. Most of them were so excited about all the colors! It was cute that they were excited but kind of humbling.

As part of a district assessment. The first graders are writing a letter to Santa. I had two of my kids that all they said was 'they wanted new shoes'. My kiddos are 6 years old and they just want a new pair of shoes. That's heartbreaking.

I am generally a positive person. I try to look at the bright side of things and don't like bad situations to affect me.

One thing I have learned this year. Is I have little Christmas spirit. I don't know why I love the holidays. This year a Christmas miracle is taking place and I don't even know where to start.
I was talking to my really good friend the other day and telling her how I was kind of bummed about Christmas for all of my kiddos. I had learned that some of them are even stressed about having 2-weeks off (what kid would think that, right?). Well, what I didn't realize is that the school feeds them breakfast and lunch. And they hopefully eat dinner at homes. That broke my heart to hear that last week. What child should have to be worried about eating over break?

She told me she was going to talk to some of her contacts and see what she should do.

This morning I get a call from a guy that works in the Governers offie and he has some contacts and what would help my school out the most (the area my school is in is very rural and very poor - so there are no places in the area of the school that can provide assistance). Well, this guy is amazing he told me there is a meeting at lunch time and to get back to him asap so they can get some things approved.

I got an e-mail later on from him after my assistant principle called him back. That they were looking at giving 50 of the neediest families $75 and to give $10 to 125 kids for something to have. My assist. principle said that shoes and jackets where more of need than toys. There was things at the bottom about food but at this point I could not focus because I was in total shock.

I e-mailed the guy back and told him that his e-mail brought tears to my eyes and how amazing this all was. He replied back and told me that it has gotten a lot bigger! I am still in total shock. I think it will hit me in a few days the impact that my friend has made. I never really believed that one person could make such a huge difference. After all I am 1-1st grade teacher in a state with thousands of others. I am grateful and glad for all of my friends and how amazing they can be.

Part 3:
I am excited about a guy! I don't even remember the last time I have been this excited and have had such a connection with someone (I am such a cynic when it comes to men, or I was...). Happy Girl am I!!! Sorry no details just yet. But, I'll keep you posted.

Special Helper

I have a little girl in my class. She always is pouting or looks sad. She has every reason too. Her mom abandoned her a few years ago and moved away. Her dad, sister, and her moved in with the grandma.

She has always been pouty. Within the past month she has been drawing pictures and whenever she draws herself in the picture there is a frown. BIG RED LIGHT! I was kind of hoping it was just a one time thing but I keep seeing it. The black pig tails with the black frowny face. I know she is having a hard time adjusting because her best-friend changed schools a few weeks ago.

I don't really know what to do. I asked her who she plays with at recess today and she told me she, "hides behind the bush". I was thinking maybe she's hiding from the other kids. Nope she said she just goes there by herself. She did tell me she plays a little with a few girls.

I can't really force anyone to be friends. Plus some of them are still at that stage (i forget what it's called) where they don't really play with people they play near them but not together.

So starting on Thursday she is going to come in at lunch and be my "special helper" or play on the computer. I feel like I have to do something. Hopefully this helps and she just needs some extra TLC.

ACHOOO!

I am almost 31 years old. There I said it. Not that I really want people to know about it. But, I wanted to point out my age. Because for the first time in my life (I think) I have allergies.

They are not mild allergies (at least I don't think, but of course, i don't really know).

My nose itches and I sneeze many times each day. A few weeks ago I could not stop sneezing. Which was horrible when I'm teaching the kiddos and I had to stop every few seconds. One of my eyes feels itchy some days. I don't know what else it could be.

I'm kind of hoping it goes away because this has been an on going thing for awhile. I really don't want this to be the new chapter of my life, Thirties and Sneezing.

On a side note: I tried some allergy medicine a few months back and it made me feel worse. :-(

Where is home?

I have always loved unpacking and putting stuff in it's spot. (Packing and moving totally different story). Every move I have ever done I've unpacked and been all moved in over a weekend.

I moved the last weekend of August. I moved in and started unpacking and then I started freaking out a little bit and completely stopped unpacking. Several times a week I was considering paying the $2500 to break my lease. Where ever things got placed when my family moved me in is where things stayed. So for the past 2 months I have been surrounded by boxes and just not using stuff. The only thing stopping me from breaking the lease was that I had no where to go? I could move back home (although my mom would be beyond pissed off). Let's face I'm almost 31 and it's no longer acceptable to be living at home. So where else would I go?
Good things started happening last weekend. I started going through the boxes on the kitchen counter and washing the dishes. Today I went though all the boxes and my kitchen is almost all the way put away. It's weird to see and have so much counter top to now use. I have actually started thinking about how to decorate things.

Beep! Beep!

Yes, I'm a slacker... I have been neglecting my blog. I have no good reasons for not updating my blog. I have lots to blog about. So much has changed over the past few months. Tonight I'll pick one of them - my car.

It was the day of Heather's (sister) bridal party. Kim (sister), Tricia (Heahter's MOH), and I were throwing my sister her party. Heather wanted it to be mexican theme so the three of us decided to throw it at Macyo's. It was the perfect set-up. We didn't have to prepare any food or decorate.

Right after school I had to drive over to my parents house to help get things ready to take over to the restuart. I was driving on the highway (maybe 10 miles west of Casa Grande) in the middle of knowhere when the gas pedal stopped working. I pulled over to the side. Luckily my phone and internet worked. I looked up a tow truck and called them to come get me and my car. I didn't end up having to wait very long on that hot August day. The guy towed us to Honda in Tempe.

I made it to Heathers party with only minutes to spare. It was a lot of fun.

The next day the dealership called to tell me that it was my transmission and it would be a little more than $3000 to fix. My Honda was paid off and I was hoping to drive it for a few more years. I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to throw $3000 into a car that will having problems and I also didn't want to have car payments. That night I went online to Tempe Honday (since that's where my car was at). And I did one of those online applications. I hadn't even thought about getting a car so when it asked what you were looking for I just put civic coupe. It's what I had so I knew I would like it.

Sunday morning I received a phone call from a sales guy at Honda. He told me they had 2 models of what I was looking for. He told me how much he would sell me the car for and aroung what the interest rate would be. An hour later I headed down there with my dad. He insisted to go since I never bought a car on my own. On the way there he kept trying to talk me into getting an Accord instead of a civic. While I would love to have gotten the Accord coupe all I saw in my eyes was extra $$$ (car cost, matience, gas). I wasn't quite ready for that. Plus this car is to just get me to and from work.When I got there I looked at the color I was interested in and went in and signed the paperwork. A hour after arriving at the dealership I left with my brand new car.

Next time I go to purchase a car I will do the same thing and save myself those extra 'haggling' hours.

I <3 my class...

So many changes have taken place in the past 2-months that I need to blog about. I'm saving that for another time when I can think clearly.

At my school every other Wednesday the kiddos have a half-day and us teachers stay at school for the rest of the day. That day after the meeting was over we were told that an organization had donated some school supplies.

Let me start off by saying that I teach in a very rural area and almost all of the kids live in poverty. The school provides free breakfast and lunch to every student. The school has dress code uniform.

• I have a girl who does not have a pair of shoes that tie for her to be able to participate in PE (now she can because a pair of sneekers were donated for her to put on before PE).
• I have another girl who wear the same shirt and bottoms all week and by the end of the week she smells very stronly of pee.
• I have about 4 students who were the same dirty shirt day after day.

All of these things are normal to the students and they do not even think twice about it.

So when I saw a boys and girls backpack on the table I quickly made my way over to snag one. I ended up with the girls backpack. I was going to give it to one of my girls who has this itty bitty backpack that doesn't even fit her folders and her papers get all crumpled up. But, I ended up thinking about this other girl that I have. She is always telling me she "forgot her backpack at home". This morning I pulled her aside and told her about this backpack and asked if she wanted it. Her eyes lit up and she got excited. That's when I noticed that she was carrying one of those Fry's $1 grocery bags with a lot of her stuff in it.

At the end of the day when I gave this backpack to her she was so excited and happy. When I was walking the kiddos out to the bus she told me that she was going to be able to "be organized".

I've been thinking about it all night. Even though the backpack didn't come from me personally it feels amazing that she has something she is excited and makes me think that her other bag probably was not something she wanted the other kids to see.

If I pass out snack all of my kids want it. If I decide to reward my kids and give them a small whatever. They are grateful for what I give them.

I never thought as myself as a 1st grade teacher. I am LOVING it at this school. I love my students. I seriously have such a good class.

While I am teaching them they are teaching me that so much of what I value in life has no importance or validity. I don't need to have 20 white shirts. I don't need to have a new coach purse because what ever reason seems valid, etc. And all of the other luxuries in my life that seems like a necessity are not. My first graders are teaching a much needed lesson life lesson and they will never know. And hopefully I am providing them with the skills and strategies so they can break the cycle of poverty - thus providing them with choices when they are adults.

***Sorry for all the typos and grammar errors. I am too tired to even attempt to look for them. Good night!