a christmas like never before...

while my family was scattered on the west coast and throughout the desert on christmas eve and christmas day, i spent my time with beau, enjoying his family and then quiet time with just him and the cat. it was very different, but i still enjoyed it. i missed my family, the loudness and laughter, and knowing the stories that were being told :) but i enjoyed the new stories, the new traditions, the laughter and busyness of it all. i was able to spend some time in california with my parents, my brother, sisinlaw and niece, which was great, and i wish they didn't live so far away.

since christmas beau and i have been sick at some level or another, he being the most sick with a respiratory ickiness that i think he's finally getting over. i had a stomach bug that lasted about a day, and have been battling the regular winter cold by staying inside most of the day... :) (except when i have to go to the grocery when it's raining cats and dogs).

so things in the south are going well... i'm looking forward to getting back to work so i can see my kiddos again and have a routine again. i'm looking forward to new years and fun with friends... i'm glad the rain hasn't been too bad since i've been home from california (we had an adventure with rain earlier this month).

i'm also looking forward to the cupcakes i'm about to bake...

i may not be able to cook wonderfully, but i am confident in my baking abilities. :)

funky baking

i've been in a funk the past couple days. wednesday i helped shauna with a catering job which was great, i only broke one glass. lol. really, i did. embarrassing to the core, but not horrible. i was exhausted after that though, and i don't know that i've fully recovered, in spite of sleeping until like 10 today, i'm still not completely recovered. emotions are shot, for some reason. and it's not the typical girl reason either, so i don't know what my deal is. sensitive and whiny, i hate being like this...

so... i decided to bake. i cleaned and now i'm baking. :) sugar cookies first cuz, well, they're delicious. :) i tried my hand at grandma's frosting... it's off just a smidge, but it still tastes good. i'm waiting impatiently for my cookies to cool so i can frost them. :) i might make banana bread again... i'm getting good at it... it might get put off til tomorrow though so the bananas are a wee bit riper. i like them mushygushy for banana bread. otherwise the flavor's not right.

anyways, i'm listening to christmas country music. love it. :) baking and feeling my spirits lift just a little bit... which is good.

im really bad at blogging, i've decided. not that i'm not whimsical and creative, just that it takes time... time i'd rather be investing in other things... like facebook? oh snap... ok... nevermind.

maybe i'm just bad at coming up with topics to write about. cuz my life isn't really all that interesting...

but today i will not give you the rundown of my life, because it's really not anything new. spent thanksgiving at beau's aunt's which is fun, and lots of good food, traditional southern thanksgiving dinner is much different than traditional yankee thanksgiving dinner, and while i missed some important ingredients from my previous thanksgivings, i was grateful for wonderful people and delicious food and feeling like a part of the family.

that was the only nutshell you are getting...

moving on...

yesterday at school, one of my little boys (xavier, 8), said he's decided my boyfriend is santa. or at least was the santa in their pictures. why? because he has a beard and he's big. ;) lol. oh kids... today, he reiterated the fact that he was positive beau is santa. i told beau, and he didn't seem as entertained by the idea as i was... i however think it's hilarious.

TODAY at school, one of my little girls told me that her family is not celebrating christmas this year. sad to hear, and curious, i asked her why, since i was pretty sure it wasn't a religious thing. sadly she told me it was because "christmas was too expensive". HOWEVER... and this made me really have to bite my tongue, her family was going to celebrate Hanukkah and Kwanzaa because those weren't as expensive. LOL. are you kidding me? really? instead of making christmas not about the presents, they decide to celebrate different holidays? really? how sad is that?

sunday night, beau and i started playing wii resort. we've learned i'm pretty good at bowling, archery, and i started out really good at swordfighting. but... alas... the second time around for every activity we did last night, beau beat me. and with a smile on his face, he ended the game a victorious. close games though, and soooo much fun!

well, it's time for lights out. i will share more 2nd grade wisdom as i come across it. :)

ida and the cat.

ida didn't touch us. i stayed home from school last monday night, and the storm never came. well, ok... it came, and if i lived down the road, would have been stuck, but... in chalmette, the winds came, some rain came, and that was it. now, i've heard ida became a wicked storm in the northeast, and i'm sad for those peeps... i'm glad that it didn't rip through here crazylike...

my kitty is at the vet still. i get to pick him up this afternoon. it's amazing how much i miss him. it was weird getting to beau's house yesterday afternoon and not have him (the kitty) run up and attack my legs... or climb up my leg while i was making dinner or ... anytime really. he's a climber. although, now, without any front claws, it'll be interesting to see how he gets around. he's really gonna have to learn to jump. anyways... i miss him. he still needs a name. everyone says it's sad for the kitty that he doesn't have a name. but i haven't come across anything that seems to fit him. the only thing that i think i like is Mac. because he likes my computer, but i don't think beau will go for that , cuz he's a PC.... it's the never-ending argument... mac vs. pc... those commercials don't help (i do love them though). soooooo... yeah... i don't know. maybe i can figure something out when he (the kitty) comes home today.

school is kicking my butt. i have to focus. i have no focusing ability these days, and i need some... a lot, really. the end of the semester is upon me and i have a LOT of work to do... but i can't seem to get anything done.

SIGH.

well. that's all for now... my head hurts. my leg hurts. my back hurts. old age setting in? maybe.

the nerve...

ida is in the gulf. i tell myself i'm not worried. but my eyes tell another story. but really, deep down i'm confident that it's going to be okay. i know that God is watching over us. i also know that beau knows what to do in these situations. so i'm not worried. the kitten is freaking me out though because he's freaking out. weather changes freak animals out, for sure.

but ida's not supposed to touch us. affect us, yes, but hit us, no.

so there you go. :)

oh... and no work today... off for the storm... :) so i get to play catch up on homework again. :)

the job!

the job is amazing. i work with 2nd and 3rd graders, helping them learn how to read. it's challenging work, heartbreaking work. to think that there's this world of knowledge, fantasy, imagination that the children don't know about and can't enjoy because they can't read well. some of the children i tested last week read so poorly that they couldn't comprehend the story at all... they missed out on the key words. it literally breaks my heart. so, i hope that in these group sessions that i have with these kids, i can help them reach their potential and open this world up to them...

naptime

Yesterday I met with my academic advisor at UNO. Even though this lady gives me a ton of homework and so much of it seems like busy work, I am learning the most from her class, and I really enjoy going to it. I went to her to figure out my classes for next semester, as we’re getting ready to register, and I found out that UNO is only offering a couple of the classes I need left. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to finish in the three semesters like I planned, so I wanted to talk to her to be sure... Also, I was concerned that without a full-time status, I wouldn’t get my student loan, which would ultimately determine whether I would be able to go to school. SO... it was so encouraging to talk with her. She was surprised that they allowed me to register for five classes, being a fulltime student and a fulltime employee. She was surprised I was doing well... :) I told her I was changing jobs, and that I was looking forward to the part-timeness of my new job because then I could get caught up on all my field experience hours. She told me I was well on my way to finishing all my classwork by this time next year, and then entering into my student teaching (which I hope to be in my classroom that fall anyway). SO... that’s exciting for me. So technically, it will still take me four semesters, but classwork wise, it’s only three. So next semester I will take three classes if the financial aid office will let me keep my loan. If not, she told me to talk to a professor about taking an independent study class for reading intervention (which is what my new job is) and then sign up for a reading class that will help me in that field. That way my unit won’t be a complete waste of time and money. SO... I still may have to take four or five classes, but hopefully I can take only three and still get my loan. I am glad I met with her. We talked about the class I’m in with her--classroom management. She said I have a good head on my shoulders, and I really seem to know my stuff. I told her, well I’ve been working with kids since i was a kid, and it all kinda comes natural to me. She said she thinks I really helped this girl in our class who is also working with little ones (she’s got 1 to 2-year olds, Lord bless her). The girl felt kinda lost in class, trying to seek out help from the class, but not really being able to translate what we’re doing in class (which is geared for prek-3rd grade), and my professor thinks some of the things I’ve said really encouraged the girl. I hope so. I told her it was hard for me at first, but it started to make sense, and I’ve been able to take some key things and apply them.

I am sad a little bit that tomorrow is my last day in my classroom. I am happy a lot that tomorrow is my last day in my classroom. I feel confident that Mary is going to do wonderful with whomever they put with her. I pray that the match is a good one. We were a good team, Mary n I. I will miss her take charge, take initiative, and ability to keep the kids’ attention longer than I. I look forward to what God has in store for me though. I am excited to work with Ms. Liz next week and learn from her. I am excited to meet my new students, and to see what reading intervention is all about. I am excited to the doors that this job is going to open. I will miss my cuddles from a couple of my kids, but I will not miss the poopy diapers and biting and hitting and screaming. I am sure I will deal with something new at Davies, but I am hoping it’s a little more manageable. :)

Well, naptime is over, so I had better go...

aP

changes...

next monday i start a new job. while i don't handle transitions very well, i am looking forward to this one. i will be a reading interventionist at joseph davies elementary school in meraux, about 5-10 minutes away from my house. excited, yes. part time, more pay, and i'll be working with older children, 2-3rd graders. teaching them how to read and write and comprehend. :) they've been after me for this job for some time now, and i finally gave in. while i will miss my two year olds, i will not miss poopy pants and policing biting and hitting on a regular basis. i will miss the cuddles and the sweet moments. but... i can cuddle with my kitten and deal with his biting. he, however, doesn't have poopy pants, so that's awesome. :) and he's just one baby, not 11. :)

the part time part of the job will free me up to do my homework, study more efficiently, get things done, and well, relax. :) i've been going crazy to an extent, and fallen behind a little bit on schoolwork, so this will be a much needed change.

Please pray for next semesters' schedule. i'll be meeting with my advisor on wednesday to work things out. right now, as it looks, UNO is only offering two of the classes i need this next semester. i need at least 4 classes to stay on target for graduating in 2 more semesters... SIGH. i really don't want to be in school for another year and a half. so if you think about it, please pray that everything works out, that some classes can be substituted or something... that i won't have a wasted semester...

THANK YOU.

possibilities

ok. so. i have to stop watching "say yes to the dress". it's making me dream in detail for something i shouldn't dream of yet. but the dresses are friggin beautiful, and it's fun to dream of what style i want or what i will look like or what his reaction to seeing me will be... :)

now, for the exciting information... i have an interview on friday afternoon for a new job, as a reading interventionist in the schools here in st. bernard. :) while it's only part time, i will be making more than what i'm making now, and i'm only working 20 hours a week. phew. while i will miss my kids in my class, i know that this is a good step. less work hours means i can focus more on school work, and be less stressed. and everyone i've talked to says that once i'm in the school system, then it's only a hop, skip, and jump away from teaching. :) sooooo... the chances of me actually teaching next fall are bigger. :)

so pray for friday... 1:30pm central time.

and ...

tomorrow is caitlin's 21st birthday... wow. i remember the day she was born. and i thought, man... i am no longer the only girl in the family. i liked being the only girl in the family. little did i know that i was only the first of many girls in the family... lol... oh well. once she got old enough to like some of the same things as me (shopping, boys, that kind of stuff), she and i got along real well, and she's like a sister to me more than a cuzcuz. i love her. :) i'm always excited to see where God is taking her, and i hope and pray that she keeps seeking after Him...

love you cuzcuz!!!

and since tomorrow is her birthday, that leaves only three weeks til my birthday!!! sadly, i will spend a chunk of the evening at school, and the days leading up to it stressed out to get projects and stuff done, but i'm still looking forward to it. yes, i will be 28. old. jk... but you know what, i'm not worried about getting old now. :) i mean, i'm sure it will hit me when i'm thirty, but right now i'm gonna enjoy these years!

i am learning how God provides. i am learning to be patient, to wait for him, to trust that he is going to provide. :) i'll let you know how this goes. :)

that's all for now. back to homework...

aP

Newness

Took a bit of a break from blogging. Too many changes, and venting here would have not been wise. :) So... Here I am, back to the land of blogging. at least, intermittently.

Work is busybusy and every day I'm exhausted when I get home. Remind me when I'm starting my family, that I will be blessed to have children one or two at a time. No need to have a house of 10 two year olds all at one time. :)

School is hard, as grad school should be. It's hard working fulltime and going to school fulltime and being a fulltime girlfriend and trying to have any other kind of life. But I have a very supportive man in my life, who makes sure I get my homework done.

Beau's house is coming together beautifully. Here, here's a picture of me cooking dinner last week.

The kitchen and living room are this fun gold yellow color, "palomino gold". :) looks great with the red accents, the chocolate brown from the other room, the dark wood table and chairs (table from donations from the community center, chairs from sam's club), and the caramel colored sofa from rooms to go.

Here's the living room, as viewed from the front room/entry room. big couch is perfect for the groups of people that come hang out at random times.

All in all, my life is getting a rhythm to it, and I am once again looking forward to new things.

update...

so much has happened in the last few weeks.

the black sox lost their tournament game that day... to a team that sadly cheated... it's true... they had to cheat to beat us. and it wasn't caught until it was too late... and our kids went home with medals instead of trophies and hearts heavy because they wanted so badly to win and they played so hard and were doing so well...

beau bought a house, and today he passed final inspection on the house (obstacles have abounded these last two weeks), and as soon as the utility companies receive the permits, he will be able to live in his beautiful house! we're both really looking forward to the drama being done, of unpacking and putting everything in its place, and finding misplaced things...

i spent my vacation week painting at beau's house. it's not perfect, but the colors are awesome, and happy, and i cant wait to get everything set up the way it's supposed to...

i started my new job. yesterday was my first day in the classroom, and whoa, nelly, i came home very discouraged. what did i sign myself up for??? ohhhhh wow... we have 10 kids that are 2-3 years old... and 3 kids that are 4 and are only there for this week until their school opens up. the kids were out of control yesterday. i didn't know the schedule, and i still am learning that... the kids didn't know me and wouldn't listen to me at all... it was hard... i couldn't get in the groove, and i was just getting more and more tired and bitter and my head was throbbing by the end of the day. not a fun first day. TODAY however, was redemptive. still not my dream job, but i think i can handle this for the next year or so... until the preschool accepts me next school year--if that's where God takes me. i like the main girl i'm working with, and the other staff members are really nice and helpful. the kids are handfuls, and it's difficult with the older ones in there, acting like they can do whatever they want. it's amazing that at even 4 years old, they think they "rule the school" just because they're older and bigger than my little 2.5-3 year olds... anyways... so i just have to get up early, spend quality time with God in the morning, and get my mind and my heart in the right place, and keep it on him throughout the day, and we'll be good to go.

school starts in two weeks for me... nervous, yes, because i don't know how i'm going to fit everything in. but it'll work out somehow... somehow...

i found an amazing website online, thanks to family circle magazine (thanks to andrea for the magazine), chegg.com where you can rent textbooks instead of buying them. you can always have the option of buying the book at the end of the semester if you really liked it, but renting it for the semester is sooooo much cheaper than buying even used copies. i'm thrilled--means less money for school! :) sooo if you're going back to school on a budget (ahemcaitlin) check it out and get your books from them. :)

ok... well there's the update...

hope you liked it. :)

baseball

tonight is our second game in the tournament, so we could win tonight and keep playing or we could end tonight... (by "our," i mean beau's 5&6 year old team). last night was their first game in the tournament. they played the league's best team, the red team, and they played so well, gave the red team a run for their money! made them sweat for a couple innings. our boys, they're good. according to one of the team members, "they're just lazy"--that's why they don't win. ahhh, from the mouths of babes. :)

here's some of my favorite pics of the boys...

Roman at second and Trent at first. Ready position, boys!

Run William, RUN!!!!

Run JO JO, Run!!! (such determination on his face, and his little legs going as fast as they can!)

Sweet snag, Bryce!!!

to be a disciple...

i'm in search of someone who can teach me the ways of messianic jewish women... what are our roles in life? what are our roles with our husbands (future or current) and our children (future or current)? what are our roles within our community of believers? what are our roles in our community at large?

i'm striving to follow after our Rabbi. i'm striving to live my life according to His will. sometimes i'm not always quite certain what that looks like. i'm surrounded by a greek mindset... completely greek. can't get more greek than traditional school. so this isn't going to be easy. but i'm up for the challenge.

what traditions will we hold on to? what laws are applicable?

what do we follow, the Mishnah, Talmud, or simply the Torah?

it's a lifestyle. i get it. i want to find a woman who has walked this life who can show me how to walk in HIS footsteps too...

sigh.

so my man is gone for the weekend... on the mantreat. that's the men's-retreat for those of you who don't know. :) i just said goodbye to him and miss him already. sign of love? i think so. i'm excited to see what stories he comes back with. can't wait to see how God teaches and uses him this weekend.

camp is going well. busy and keeps me on my toes. but it's going well.

daycare ... oh daycare... i met my class today. at least some of them. wow. ms. alicia and i are gonna have our hands full. we may have a small class, but it is an active class... oh man... am i really prepared for this? idk. but i've made the commitment. God's got me there for a reason...

*sigh*

i'm exhausted... emotionally drained... physically drained. i think this will be a good weekend to try to recoup...

sushi

the only place open last night to satiate our craving for sushi was Osaka in Slidell. i ventured over there, nervous because, well, i've not ordered sushi on my own for the two of us before. i get the menu and sit down and freak out. almost everything that sounds good has shrimp tempura in it. and ohhhhh how badly we want shrimp tempura... but we can't... so... i get creative, and an "i'm fairly hungry" amount of sushi later, the ladies at Osaka are giving me the bag of food. The young girl looks at me, and looks at the bag and says "Is this for one?" and i smiled and said, "no, there's two of us." She had a look of amazement on her face when she said, "Wow, that's still a lot of food for two." i chuckled and said, "yeah, we like to eat a lot of sushi..."

the sushi was good. the seafood salad was incredible...

Kids Camp starts on Monday. I'm no longer stressed because we're at the point of no return and KK has really stepped up this week and done well with what she was given. I'm looking forward to new and familiar faces at Camp this year. I'm not looking forward to the potential of having people come to register NOW--on the day camp starts, and having to tell them "I'm sorry, camp is full..." I am looking forward to a new routine and being with kids all day.

I have a job for the fall! I started training last Friday and sat down with the owners at Heart of Learning (a daycare center) and discussed a full time position in August as lead teacher of the older 2s, young 3s, with another girl, Alicia, whom I've never worked with but has always been really nice to me. I'm excited! We move classrooms July 25th-26th, and Alicia and I get to set up our own classroom! My eyes lit up as I realized that I am in fact getting the class I was hoping to get--it's just gonna look different. Instead of 20 4s and 5s, I get to play with no more than 12 2s and 3s. :) Daycare isn't what I had my heart set on, but God is opening the doors here, so I'm going through them and next year, when I'm qualified for a Practitioner's license, I will be able to teach at a public school. For now, though, let's look at this year! This year I get to teach a group of little ones!

What I am looking forward to is the first week of August having a week of vacation. While I don't get paid for the week, it'll still be nice to get ready for this next chapter in my life. It'll be good to get my internal clock reset also--7am-4pm is going to be a rough schedule here for me for the first bit, until my body can sleep earlier, and my brain can function earlier in the morning. Sigh. Sometimes I really hate being a night person.

to start off

I guess I'll just start off saying... this is us... this is our blog. :)

This is what we've got going on...

aP: doctor tomorrow... final test, hopefully, for them to determine that really, i'm as healthy as can be, i just have serious stomach issues... we shall see, we shall see. kids camp starts in a couple weeks, and when i'm not going to the doctor, babysitting, or looking for a job for the fall, i am prepping for kids camp. i'm anxious to see what this camp will be like.

bS: the boys baseball team is playing their third game this evening, in about an hour! Wish them luck as they go out for another win! i'm sad i'm missing the game- i like watching them play and watching b coach... he's so good with the kids!

anyways... we'll post again soon, i just wanted to get something up. :)