Cool Winter Breeze, Runny Nose for Me

The cool winter breeze blew in today, however, so did a cold for me. Runny nose, soar throat, popping ears, what's next? It always seems just as I get over one thing, something else starts again. I really need to find a way to build up my immune system better. I love working with kids, but I dislike catching colds from them all the time. If they have something, it won't take long and then I will have that same thing as well. Although staying in bed all day feels good, but knowing that you just have that much more when you get up is a totally different story. Seems as if I can never just catch a break anymore. Instead, there is always something that I have to worry about. 

Inspiration from a Writer- Quit Kahliah!

Quit Kahliah!

Dr. Deirdre, a writer, an educator, and an overall inspiration to anyone who sets foot in her path or takes a look into her writing. She has a passion for her niece and nephew which is what she bases her first series of stories off of. Quit Kahliah!, expresses memories of her niece that she choose to bring back and form into a book. It demonstrates the great amount curiosity that she expresses as a child in real life. Her talk really emphasized getting to know every student within your classroom. Every student has something to offer and it is really important to remember that. As well as focus on a story that you are telling, not the name of the characters so much. They can come later because without the story the characters won't be displayed to there fullest potential.

I encourage everyone to go check out her website and purchase her book at www.booksbydeirdre.com

Time, Slow Down...Please!

Here lately I feel I just don't have enough time in my life. Everything goes by so quickly and I fail to get everything done that I wanted. Many things to do in such little time and I'm doing so much that I forget what I've already done. I just wish I could slow down or stop time to allow myself to catch up with everything that is going on. With thinking about time I began to look up a poem that expressed myself and the way that I am feeling about life right now. 

Time moves too fast

It is going too fast,
like the speed of light,
I used to wait so long,
now it is out of sight.
Looking back and seeing it gone,
faster than the blink of an eye,
one second morning,
next its dawn.
Nothing I can hold,
grasp real close,
only fading memories,
of when I wish time froze

By. MST Leipzig

Joy of Halloween

I get so excited for Halloween every year although I never dress up anymore. Every year for Halloween we make it a family thing to go to my aunt's house and pass out candy. Being that a lot of my family lives in the country we don't get the opportunity to pass out candy at our houses so instead we go here. However, this occasion is just another reason to be able to spend time with my family. Also, I enjoy watching the children walk up to the house and see what all kinds of creative costumes that they came up with this year. Back when I was a kid I feel like a lot of the costumes were just bought at the store, now we have many websites as Pinterest to be creative and design our own costumes. The joy of Halloween for me, is not about me or the candy for me it is much more than that and it comes from the children!

Pencil Peeve

A huge pet peeve that I have developed in my corresponding teacher's classroom is students with their pencils. I would have never guessed that a pencil could entail so many different things that become a distraction such as pencil top erasers, grippers, and most importantly a pencil sharpener. Students are constantly getting erasers tearing them up and tosses pieces at each other where you later see them all over the floor as well as the grippers besides using these items for their actual purpose. I don't even know where to begin with students sharpening their pencil because first of all they no longer get to use the teacher's pencil sharpener due to already breaking one of hers. However, they all bought their own little ones now. You would think that this would be a good thing, but its definitely not. Students now find a reason to break their pencils just so they can keep sharpening them during class even though they are already perfectly sharpened. They keep finding reasons to mess with their pencils instead of being fully focused in class. I never realized how much all of this bothered me before until now. All I can do is find myself being highly annoyed hoping that I will eventually get used to it.

Grateful, Thankful & Blessed

Here lately I have really been thinking about my life a lot and the reasoning that brought all of this was when I had a conversation with a student and was really trying to get to know them. The student began to tell me about his split up family and how he doesn't really enjoy his step family that he lives with, how they had only local channels on television, no internet and their water had to be turned on and off constantly. As I listened to the student tell me about the life that he has my emotions began to build up and feel sad for the child. It made me really take a moment to look back and reflect on my own life. Many times in life we take things for granted and do not realize how much we should be appreciative of these things. "If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we'd be happy with more. -Unknown" It teaches me that I need to appreciate what may seem like little things such as a roof over my head, the air I breathe, the fresh water I drink, the food that is in my household, waking up and being able to get out of bed & walk, for being to see and hear, having a cell phone, a tv to watch almost any show I want, being able surf the web and most of all having a family who loves me and gets along with one another. Although I could have a list that goes on forever I think that is where I will stop for now. The main three words that I need to remember is "Grateful, Thankful & Blessed" because that is truly what I am.

Is There Ever an End to My To-Do List?

I felt like this weekend I really took a lot of time to work on things for school as well as my personal life to check off my "to-do list". Homework...check. Passports...check. House chores...check. The list that I had written after many countless hours was finally completed, but of course, just as one list is completed another list begins again. Instead of feeling great about accomplishing something, I feel as if another load has been thrown on my shoulders. Do they ever end? If it's not one thing it's another ! I feel like I can never fully catch up on life and the "to-do list" go on forever.

Nothing But Bad Luck

This week already I've had too many moments of just pure bad luck...Why Me & Why Now? Is all that comes to my mind. I tried for the past two days to find an outfit for our pictures next Monday. Guess what!? Still no luck! ...it all started by wanting to go to my two favorite boutiques. So I decided to try and go to one yesterday because they are supposed to be open, but when I pull up to the store I see the lights are off! Still not sure if they are closed or not I get out of my car and approach the building with a sign posted that reads, "Closed, due to a family illness today." After reading the sign I completely understood and no feelings hurt. Although I can just hear that clock ticking in my head as I am slowly running out of time. Well today I decided to try a different place, the other boutique I wanted to see but...Guess what!? This store was closed too even the paper said they were open till 5:30 and it was only 4:30. This time no sign posted as to why they closed early. Here I am now slightly wanting to give up on even trying to find something different. I am starting to think this is all a sign leading up to something, but I'm not quite sure what yet. However, I do know one thing for sure now, call first!! Anyways, rant over. I have learned a very important lesson over just these past two days.

Rainy Days

As I'm sitting in class today I hear this strange but yet very common noise hitting the roof and windows. Rain drops, it was raining! I immediately looked out of the window to see the trees swaying, water running off the roof, and the playground slightly muddy with puddles of water. Rainy days call for stop and think moments whether we realize it or not. Everyone acknowledges these rainy days as they take a moment to observe what is going on whether we like it or not. For me rainy days are just so calming to me. The best is when it hits our tin roof at my house. Rainy days usually call for a break as it is a day to stay in my pajamas, sit around on the couch, catch up on laundry; etc. Sometimes I just love rainy days as it allows me with a break, but other days I have stuff that I need to do outside that can be frustrating as everything is wet and nasty and just causes problems.

Ribbons, Lace and Jewels Too...

Where do I even begin? Upon driving up to the store I began to get very excited, but yet slightly nervous as well. My anticipation levels were rising because today was the day that I would get to try on all those pretty dresses in hope to find the "Perfect" one for my big wedding day. ---Walking into the store all I could see was ribbon, lace, jewels as well as all these other different types of materials. Some dresses poofy, some straight, fitted, sparkly, plain, long, short, etc. Here is where the nerves began to kick in as I thought to myself,"How would I ever pick out the right dress?" There were so many options to consider and the dresses you think you like in pictures...well don't always tend to look the same when you try them on. (Or at least that's how it always goes for me.) We went from one dress to another, over and over again. In fact I tried on so many different ones that all the dresses began to look the same. I had to tell myself that I have to start narrowing them down or I would be here forever. Finally, after trying some on twice I narrowed it down to two dresses both very pretty, but also very different in style. One really tended to catch my eye though, but of course it was a little over my budget---that's just my luck! I finally found the one I like and then money has to step in and be a problem. Uhh, maybe I will have to splurge a little just this one time! :)

The Lights that Bring it all Back

      Suddenly as I sit here I feel a blast from the past, a moment that I am back to reliving those good ole days. The bleachers shake, the wind blows, the crowd cheers through all of this nail biting intensity under those "Friday Night Lights." As if that isn't enough my feet were stomping in frustration, but yet my hands were clapping in excitement through out the whole game. Over all it was just a series of mixed emotions going on through my head during this one game, four quarters, forty-eight minutes, or two thousand eight hundred eighty seconds of my life. Thankfully we ended with a win thus setting my mind at ease.
       Although this game had me on my toes the whole game. I have to say going to watch my brother play high school football in my hometown was one of the best decisions I have made in a long time. It was great being able to go back to the place where everything started for myself. As I made those marks on the field during Kindergarten when I first started school here to when I departed with my last footsteps on that same field when I walked across it for my high school graduation. The memories that lie within just this field alone much less the school is something that will never be forgotten.