20+ hours

Okay, so I have been awake for more than 20 hours now. I think i have spent 15 of those hours working on my school project. Holy cow! Is this an insight of what my first year will be like as a teacher? I have heard that you spend a lot of time because you don't have anything to pull from. If that is the case i'll be making like $2 an hour as a teacher - isn't that illegal? LOL
Maybe i am a little delirious. My boss should be at work soon. I hope she will let me not go to work today, because else i need to leave for work in 2 hours and 15 minutes. oh and my big presentation/fair is this afternoon at 3. And i still have to make my seaweed dip for the presentation. My themed unit is Oceans/Sea (2nd grade). So i am making spinach dip (get it). I'm going to put "spinach dip" in [ ] on my sign just in case someone takes it seriously and thinks...sick, nasty, yuck, barf, or whatever people say these days.
While i am waiting for my papers to print out. Here is one of the songs from my unit. I got it from seaworld.com

It's to the theme of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"

Scurry, scurry, hermit crab

Look for food that you can grab.

Search for shells that fit just right

Hide in them when it is night.

Scurry, scurry, hermit crab

Look for food that you can grab.

Wooohooo, i can go to bed....

Vegas

Tomorrow night at this time I am going to be soo tired and **hopefully** loaded. Okay, just a little extra money would be nice. Tomorrow morning I have to leave at 5:40 A.M - (yawn) for the airport and flying to Vegas for the day. I am so excited. I love going to Vegas. Oh that reminds me i need to wash my hair and do a face mask so i look extra cute. Michelle rented a mini-van instead of a car this time so there would be room for everyone. I cannot wait to see Michelle drive a mini-van...i think that will call for a picture. ;-)
Well good luck to me tomorrow.

I am blessed

I am thankful for my life and grateful for each day. I am able to breath, walk, talk, see, and do what I want all on my own. I do not have any diseases or other major illiness. I have never been molested, neglected, abused, abducted or any other hanious crimes. Some people are not so lucky. I wish these problems didn't exist because nobody deserves any of them. I wish i didn't take everything i have had or have for granted. I always thought my up bringing was "normal" and that's how everyone lived. It saddens me that kids and parents have such struggles. I am not sure how I became so lucky in this life time.

I've been a little poor lately. So much so that once one of my classes and interning ends in two weeks I am going to start working 40 hours again. That almost ends up being an extra paycheck a month. It's going to be kinda of hard to get use to working the extra hours but it's only until July. I hope these extra hours pay off and I'm frivolous with this money to "reward" myself for working extra.

Opps

My back has been giving me problems the last few months. Is this a sign of age? I sure hope not. Doesn't give a girl anything to look forward to if things get worse. Anyways i was leaning over the other day and pop went my lower back.

And i am still in pain.

I feel like an old lady wearing the thermacare wraps on my back. They are very relaxing. Anyone want to join me in the rocker with these goodies?

Weekend Ramblings

Nothing is really new in the house hold, well with the exception of all my school stuff. Kim is graduating in a month and the graduation party is in full planning mode. She is sending out latterly a hundred invitations to her graduation party. I don’t even think I know a hundred people. Hopefully only 30% show up… too many more and mom is going to be a total grump the week before hand if there are too many more. I am looking forward to her party espically now that I know my partner and crime will be going with me.

Friday, we went to the studio and looked at all Kim’s picture. The set up was cool. It was in downtown Mesa so the studio was super cute. It looked like a loft minus the bedroom. We sat on a couch and viewed her pictures on a huge flat screen. Afterwards, we went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner. I’ve wanted to go and check it out for a long time. When we were being walked to out table the host asked me if I ever been there before. Since the 5 of them had already been there I said yes. He then proceeded to ask me what I had. I had to tell him I couldn’t remember… My sister later said I should have said something that they didn’t have on the menu like a bean burrito. ;-)

Saturday Shaunna, Angie, and I went to Z-tejas for some of their yummy margaritas. Afterwards we headed over to Tempe Market Place. I just love TMP it is about 15 minutes from my house and it totally reminds me of being in Santa Monica at the 5th street Promonade.
We weren't sure what we were going to do there Cadillac Ranch, San Fliepes, or Dave and Busters. Well someone how i got chosen to pick which place. As I looked at the long line at Cadillac Ranch and San Filepes and then no line at Dave and Busters the answer was clear. Dave and Busters!!! Of course 7 years ago it would have been the place with the longest line.... that means it's the coolest and best, right? Funny how times change.

On to more exciting news we are getting a new washer and dryer. Actually I am not happy about the ones my parents selected. To which they told me to go visit a laundry mat. Guess I deserve that.

I still haven’t found out WHERE I am student teaching and I am drying to know. In 4 week I am done with all of my academic classes for my degree. That seems a little strange.

Focusing on myself

I am usually pretty good about not feeling the pressure from society for what ‘I should be doing’. Every once in awhile it’s hard and it can become an obsession for a few days. Thankful the logical side shines through and reminds me I need to do what makes me happy. And tonight I am almost back to the rationale of doing what makes me happy.
I also feel like I am at a point in my life where I need to decide. There are many options right now I could step it up a notch or not. I like living with my family. Of course I don’t really want to be the only one of my siblings still living at home when I am in the 30’s and they will both be in the early 20’s. Even as much as I like to tease my parents and tell them I am waiting for them to move out.
I feel like I should be buying a house. I can’t tell you how many people I went to school with who have houses that they paid over 500k for. Of course my house would be like a little tree house compared to their custom built houses. And truthfully it would be fun to live in a house of my own for a month and then I would be bored. And then I will be poor. Bored and poor are not the best combination for me. That would not make me happy. I do realize that one day I need to grow up and not be all about me. I would like to adopt a 3-7 year old one day. I don’t really know when I need to start looking into that more. I know I want to be established as a teacher and I will need a place of my own. I don’t think the adoption agency would look fondly on a living with parent’s status.
The last few years I’ve learned to be content and relish today and not dwell on the future like I had as a child and young adult. I also have learned to never compare your self to others’, the grass only “looks” greener on the other side. But, once in awhile it’s hard.

July is almost here

As the days are becoming warmer the realization is starting to set in that the time is nearing, for student teaching to begin. I eagerly await my placement. What school will I be at? Whose classroom will I be in? Will I be in 3rd or will I be in 4th? The anticipation grows as does my excitement. Although a part of me is sad. Around the same time that I start student teaching my sister Heather is headed for Germany. She is graduating in May and before she moves up to Washington to continue on with her degree to become a veterinarian she applied and was accepted in an internship over seas. I am happy for her. She was one of 25 students out of 750 applicants that got chosen. But, it means I am not going to see my sister for an entire year. Guess that means we will have to visit her. Dang...traveling! ;-)

Here is a beautiful picture of my sister Heather.

I'm sure going to miss her, this up coming year.

Baby D

Enoch and I had talked months about getting a puppy. We both really wanted to get a Blue Great Dane and name him/her Bailey (middle name Blue). One day Enoch called to tell me that someone that knew so-and-so that had a friend of a friend, etc. had a 6 month old Harlequin Great Dane that they were getting rid of and do I want it. Of course I've never had an impulsive bone in my body so it took me awhile to say "yes" (all of 5 minutes).

Deuce had a rocky puppy hood. He started off in his birth house (0 - 2 mo.), went to a family who decided they didn't have time for him or he was getting to big for them (2 mo. - 6 mo.), lived with Enoch (6 mo. - 7 mo.), and he came to me as a very "Large" 7-month old.

Enoch had him for the first month and here is one of the first pictures I got (look at those itty bitty paws).



A month later and Deuce and I met and he started living with me. Now I had never been a dog person, actually i had never had my own dog before. I remember being outside with him and thinking to myself, if Enoch and I ever break up he is soo taking this dog. Those first few months were hard I was trying to figure him out as he was me. Deuce had some separation issues and one day i realized it was because he didn't know where he belonged and who his family was. That warm and sunny day was the day Deuce melted my heart. I have never been the same since.

Now people are always shocked to learn that Deuce and I lived in an apartment for over a year. How can a big dog live in an apartment? Well, it was really easy (minus the stairs) the apartment was over 1000 sq. ft so we had plenty of room for the both of us. Back then he was not allowed on the coach or on the bed. He wasn't even permitted in the Kitchen (his head is taller than the counter top). It was actually funny keeping him out of the Kitchen. He didn't realize his size. At 7-months he was the height of a Greyhound. I would line my kitchen walk way with shoe boxes and he would just stand right next to them - never realizing he could step over. Of course I wasn't about to show him. Back then is when his obsession with ice began. If i needed a break from him for 5 minutes (because he was clingy and always at my side) I would get a handful of ice and put them on the floor and he would eat it all up. Now when he hears my mom getting ice out of the freezer, or anyone, he is right there waiting for a piece. The cheapest dog treat ever!!! He is such a crazy guy, he can't tell time but he sure knows when i should be home or when I am home early. If i came home really early I could make it all the way into the apartment and into the room without him realizing i was home and the perplexed look on his face was priceless for a few seconds. Now if I was late he would be barking and he hardly ever barks. Of course right on time he would be waiting for me at the door. He still is like that. Mom says the nights i have class, he passes in front every now and then.
We've been at my parents house for the past 2 years so I can finish up school. It's so much easier with him and I don't have to feel guilty and he has a best friend named Samson who is such a sweetheart. Now and days Deuce sleeps on the bed and is allowed on the coaches. But, he listens extremely well on them. It's like he appreciates it. Although he is completely spoiled he is not rotten as he still gets in trouble for things (on a side note: i am so nervous to have kids in my class whose parents think they do no wrong. We learned about these parents today in class and how they are setting their kids up for failure. And these parents are usually working against the teacher instead of the together for the best interest of their child. I-crumba!) a little discipline really makes a huge difference. Nothing crazy if he is being a little too crazy and I'm talking to my mom he has to go in the hallway and lay down. He grumbles at me a little as he lays down and even when i give him the evil eye (which he hates). Anyways, this is probably way more than ANYONE cares to know about Deuce. And if you have actually read this entire thing you seriously rock. I was going to blog an April Fools Joke about him but didn't have the heart to follow through. Deuce is an amazing dog and I have grown so much as a person by having him. I am lucky he was put into my life.
While every day we are faced with decisions. Some decisions happen so quickly but they impact and change the rest of our lives....