What Were You Like
20 Years Ago: (1985 - I was 11)
- was in 5th grade and envious of all of the "couples" that were sprouting up around school (can you believe that?!)
- caught the chickenpox from a boy and our entire table caught it!
- learned how easy it was to cheat during a test! (OMG, that's so bad!)
- remembered that I did a state report on Delaware and a president report on Reagan
- was a HUGE fan of As The World Turns, Days of Our Lives, and other soaps. HUGE.
15 Years Ago: (1990 - I was 16)
- was a sophomore in high school and teased my bangs every morning
- participated in my Mareng Wena's cotillion...and met my first "bad boy"
- actually had my then-guy ask my parents permission to "court" me...and they said NO!
- went to Russia on a student exchange program that summer for three weeks..that is, Russia before it fell.
- loved, loved, loved New Kids on the Block and was even part of the fan club! (had to be on the same page as Consuela now!)
10 Years Ago: (1995 - I was 21)
- went to my first 21+ over gay club on my birthday, Club Universe!
- attended SFState and was all about PACE
- started rebelling more, gave my parents headaches
- was itching to get out of my parent's house..no joke.
5 Years Ago: (2000 - I was 26)
- after being an after school teacher & sub, I was hired to be a 3rd grade teacher
- went on road trips with then-boyfriend hubby
- went to Washington D.C. and drove through the Eastern shorebord to Connecticut (went through 7 states in one day!)
3 Years Ago: (2002 - I was 28)
- got married
- moved out into our own apartment in Foster City...and LOVED IT.
- enjoyed having a commute...did I just say that?
Last Year: (2004 - I was 30)
- let 5 of my 7 ear piercings close...because when I turned 30, I felt I had to do something "drastic"
- got my 3rd tattoo to make up for the loss of my ear pierces!
- was constantly complaining about MN and how much I missed CA
- was relieved when my car was finally delivered to MN
- went camping in the Wisconsin wilderness....with thousands, if not millions of mosquitoes! *shudder, shudder!*
- Hubby and I bought and moved into our 1st home
This Year: (2005 - I am 31)
- I will finish up my Masters in Education by Thanksgiving
- Moved back to CA temporarily to fill in a maternity position at school
- Spent a week hanging out with my stepkids
- I finally learned how to upload my digital pics to my laptop!
- I will drive from Minnesota to CA this coming Labor Day weekend
Yesterday:
- woke up all freaked out because of the dream I had: War of the World-esque
- had a much better day at school =)
- debated whether or not to get gas or if dad's car could go one more day
- was totally frustrated with my a computer problem
Last Night:
- had a really bad stomach ache
- worked on my lesson plan book
- talked to hubby
- actually went to bed early
Today:
- got to work by 6:45am
- saw my former students from my 1st class =)
- planned out the driving route from MN to CA
- am thankful today is Friday!
Tomorrow:
- might be sore from running during PE today
- will catch up on much needed rest
- will go to church with RyceGirlie
- do laundry
- work on lesson plans
Next Year:
- hopefully have a new job
- maybe have a new tatt...i'm itching for another one!
- will be slimmer in time for The Weekender's wedding!
5-10 Years From Now:
- have a couple of kids, living in Hawaii, enjoying life, and be completely debt-free
*And even though I may "tag" these people, it doesn't necessarily mean that they will actually read my blog and know they were tagged. In any case, I tag Bebe, MsbLiSs, RyceGirlie, Keyopes, the Weekender, and Mrs. Voodoo. Enjoy!
Friday, August 26, 2005
TGIF
I used to wonder why the first day of school had to fall on a Wednesday or a Thursday. Why begin in the middle of the week? I always thought that the transition back to school would be easier if done on a Monday with the rest of the week to adjust. But after only three days of school, I'm just so happy that the weekend is here! Like I've mentioned, I've had to reconnect myself to the classroom environment and although the first day was rough, it has gradually gotten easier with each passing day. Let's just forget the little fact that we haven't even started on any real work yet! Oh boy...something to look forward to on Monday. But just a quick update of today, the kids seemed to be cooperating much better. I did have to give a handful of kids a timeout already, but it's because they totally deserved it. This girl got caught eating some candy in line after lunch. Since we were still in the Cafe, I told her to either swallow it or throw it out. I didn't get upset...I just reminded her that when the 2nd bell rings, they should be lined up and ready to go. We got back to the classroom where they proceeded to change into their PE uniform, had DEAR time, and continued with our show and tell. Approximately 40 minutes had passed since lunch when a student said, "She's still eating after you said not to!" Ha...sometimes tattletales are such good informers! Turned out that she was still popping some candy during class...how I didn't see her doing it (she sits in the front row!) is beyond me! Man...my "sensors" must be down...
Why I Became A Teacher
After school, the 3rd grade teachers decided to have a field trip to the middle school site, which is only a few blocks away from where we are, to visit some teacher friends. I've only been to this site a total of 2-3 times and man, it's nice! Sure it's an old building, but the freedom that the teachers and students have is refreshing. As we wandered along the hallways, I immediately began seeing familiar faces of my former students! My goodness how they have grown! Since I have been away for two years, my old kids are now in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. I saw a handful of 8th graders who were from my 1st year class and if you're a teacher, you know that your first class will always always always be special to you. I saw them and it was so nice that they remembered me! I got a lot of questions of how come I don't teach here anymore and I explained how I had moved to MN. When we were visiting in one of the classrooms, I heard a voice, "Is that Miss MnM?" and when I turned around, it was a boy from my first class. Now this kid is pretty special because although he got into lots of trouble, I really felt for him because his parents were so busy with the business that they were running. Plus, the mother had just had a baby and as a result, he was not getting the much needed attention that he needed. He had a short temper and I believed that he acted out because he wanted the attention, whether good or bad. All in all, he was a good kid and by the end of the year, I had helped him control his angry outbursts. Anyways, I walk over to him and the first thing he did was raise his hands in the air and said, "I made it to 8th grade!" It was enough to bring tears to my eyes! Good for him! Although I never doubted his abilities, I always wondered how he fared after 3rd grade simply because of the possibility of digressing. But he said it so enthusiastically with this big ass smile on his face that it gave me the warmest feeling inside! Wow....after roughing the first day of school and even questioning whether teaching is still for me, this moment right here, that 3 minute conversation I had with this one student, that one remark and the look on his face reminded me of why I became a teacher in the first place.... I've always heard that with younger students, you really don't see the fruits of your labor immediately. Sure you witness them doing tasks and learning skills, but it's not until much later that you see where your hard work went. Although it was not a blatent "Thank You!," and although he has reached 8th grade because of many other teachers before and after me, it made me proud to have been a part of that group. I feel that I made a difference in this kid's life and even if he was the only one, it been all worth the effort.
My first class graduates this year and I am looking forward to attending the graduation. Coincidentally, when they were in 3rd grade, I had them make a mini-time capsule. I had them write a letter to themselves and put a few items into an envelope. For five years, I have kept them just as I promised and I told them that these would be returned to them before their 8th grade grad. I honestly thought that the kids would've forgotten about them, but the same one student asked if I still had them. Wow...he still remembered! I told him that yes, he would be getting it back this year and he genuinely looked excited. This is a moment that I will always remember...and treasure. As far as the graduations, I plan on attending this year's and the next two after that. I believe that it would take me full circle in my teaching career thus far....and plus, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
I used to wonder why the first day of school had to fall on a Wednesday or a Thursday. Why begin in the middle of the week? I always thought that the transition back to school would be easier if done on a Monday with the rest of the week to adjust. But after only three days of school, I'm just so happy that the weekend is here! Like I've mentioned, I've had to reconnect myself to the classroom environment and although the first day was rough, it has gradually gotten easier with each passing day. Let's just forget the little fact that we haven't even started on any real work yet! Oh boy...something to look forward to on Monday. But just a quick update of today, the kids seemed to be cooperating much better. I did have to give a handful of kids a timeout already, but it's because they totally deserved it. This girl got caught eating some candy in line after lunch. Since we were still in the Cafe, I told her to either swallow it or throw it out. I didn't get upset...I just reminded her that when the 2nd bell rings, they should be lined up and ready to go. We got back to the classroom where they proceeded to change into their PE uniform, had DEAR time, and continued with our show and tell. Approximately 40 minutes had passed since lunch when a student said, "She's still eating after you said not to!" Ha...sometimes tattletales are such good informers! Turned out that she was still popping some candy during class...how I didn't see her doing it (she sits in the front row!) is beyond me! Man...my "sensors" must be down...
Why I Became A Teacher
After school, the 3rd grade teachers decided to have a field trip to the middle school site, which is only a few blocks away from where we are, to visit some teacher friends. I've only been to this site a total of 2-3 times and man, it's nice! Sure it's an old building, but the freedom that the teachers and students have is refreshing. As we wandered along the hallways, I immediately began seeing familiar faces of my former students! My goodness how they have grown! Since I have been away for two years, my old kids are now in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade. I saw a handful of 8th graders who were from my 1st year class and if you're a teacher, you know that your first class will always always always be special to you. I saw them and it was so nice that they remembered me! I got a lot of questions of how come I don't teach here anymore and I explained how I had moved to MN. When we were visiting in one of the classrooms, I heard a voice, "Is that Miss MnM?" and when I turned around, it was a boy from my first class. Now this kid is pretty special because although he got into lots of trouble, I really felt for him because his parents were so busy with the business that they were running. Plus, the mother had just had a baby and as a result, he was not getting the much needed attention that he needed. He had a short temper and I believed that he acted out because he wanted the attention, whether good or bad. All in all, he was a good kid and by the end of the year, I had helped him control his angry outbursts. Anyways, I walk over to him and the first thing he did was raise his hands in the air and said, "I made it to 8th grade!" It was enough to bring tears to my eyes! Good for him! Although I never doubted his abilities, I always wondered how he fared after 3rd grade simply because of the possibility of digressing. But he said it so enthusiastically with this big ass smile on his face that it gave me the warmest feeling inside! Wow....after roughing the first day of school and even questioning whether teaching is still for me, this moment right here, that 3 minute conversation I had with this one student, that one remark and the look on his face reminded me of why I became a teacher in the first place.... I've always heard that with younger students, you really don't see the fruits of your labor immediately. Sure you witness them doing tasks and learning skills, but it's not until much later that you see where your hard work went. Although it was not a blatent "Thank You!," and although he has reached 8th grade because of many other teachers before and after me, it made me proud to have been a part of that group. I feel that I made a difference in this kid's life and even if he was the only one, it been all worth the effort.
My first class graduates this year and I am looking forward to attending the graduation. Coincidentally, when they were in 3rd grade, I had them make a mini-time capsule. I had them write a letter to themselves and put a few items into an envelope. For five years, I have kept them just as I promised and I told them that these would be returned to them before their 8th grade grad. I honestly thought that the kids would've forgotten about them, but the same one student asked if I still had them. Wow...he still remembered! I told him that yes, he would be getting it back this year and he genuinely looked excited. This is a moment that I will always remember...and treasure. As far as the graduations, I plan on attending this year's and the next two after that. I believe that it would take me full circle in my teaching career thus far....and plus, I wouldn't miss it for the world.
Thursday, August 25, 2005
Sabbatical of Sorts
I feel like it's been forever since I've posted. Now that I'm back to work, I just realized that this whole blogging business began when I was in MN, aka, unemployed. During the past two weeks, I've been so busy preparing the classroom and preparing myself mentally that I simply did not have the time nor the desire to write out my thoughts. Man...how do you people find the time?! LOL! Or, it could be that this whole dial-up thang at my parents is such a hassle that if I don't have to be online, I'd rather not be unless it's to check mail. But in case ya'll were wondering, I'm still alive. =)
Back to School
Yesterday was the first day of school. Yesterday marked THE return of MnM in the classroom after a two-year absence. Yesterday was THE day when I had to remind myself what it was like to be in front of 27 pairs of eyes that belong to 27 little busybodies who have 27 little mouths that, for the life of me, could not stop talking! Yes, yes, excitement was in the air...it WAS the first day of school after a nice long 3 month or so vacation after all. These rugrats haven't seen their friends, they're meeting a new teacher, being in a new classroom, adjusting to so many things that of course, it's natural for their attention spans to slowly come back to fully working order. I always feel sorry for the kids on the first day of school because teachers are trying to establish routines, have them learn procedures, and ram so much information down their throats that they obviously will not remember after the first five minutes. All they want to do is play. But then again, I always feel sorry for the teachers, too, because they are antsy to get into a good routine and get going with school. I believe that there is always a part of the teacher that half dreads the first day of school and half looks forward to it. They love to teach and be with children and yet, first days are always a headache. Mine was a headache.
While I would rather not go into details about how the day went, I will share that after school and running errands, I lay down for a nap...and didn't wake up until 2am this morning! Blame it on the first day of school nerves and all the anxiety that comes with going from waking up whenever I wanted because I ain't got a job to what, I have to be there at what time?! (7am). On the first day of school, I was running on adrenaline, two hours of restless sleep, and lots and lots of prayer. When I lay my head on that pillow at 5:30pm yesterday afternoon, my body basically yelled "Why the heck did you put me through that hell for?!" It was pure exhaustion...no joke. I forget what it feels like to be constantly on your feet. Man, what I would do for a good foot rub and massage! Over all, I have to say that it was a rough day...not a terrible day, just a rough day.
Today, on the other hand, went much better...thank God! Fortunately, I have a knack for remembering kids' names quickly so that was one less thing to worry about. I had to quietly laugh to myself yesterday because I "figured out" who my "special kids" were not even five minutes into the school day. Special, as in, the names that other teachers will definitely hear about...OFTEN! There was this one particular boy who was constantly yapping a mile a minute. I remember thinking, "Oh, THIS is that kid." But then today, although he was just as talkative, I saw him in a different light. He's actually a cute kid, smart, friendly, and nice. If he was a punk, it would definitely be a whole different ballgame. But he's not. He just likes to talk and needs to learn when it's okay to talk and when it's not. I have a funny feeling that he may turn out to be one of my favorites! (ssshhhh...don't tell the other kids!)
Can I just dispel one myth about boys and girls? I've always heard that having more girls in the class is a good sign that there will be less behavioral and/or talking problems. NOT! While I have thought that at one time, this is definitely not the case. I have this one lil' (not so little!) girl who raises her hand for EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY THING. She's an only child, which btw, may explain a lot about her personality...I'll leave it at that. My biggest irk is when kids call out without raising her hand. But it's an even bigger irk when kids ARE raising their hands, but call out before being called on. I hate that! Then when I reprimand and correct them, I get a sassy remark like, "But I WAS raising my hand." But ooohhhhh....don't even try to be like that with me, little girl! Yes it was the first day of school and I had to adjust to being in the classroom environment, but today, it all came back. After talking about respecting yourself and others, and after reviewing HOW to listen in class, I had to let them know what the word "irritate" meant...
As talkative as these chitlins are, they somehow find it fascinating to open and close their desks. They have one of those desktops that open up, but if you're not careful, they will slam. When I am talking, I EXPECT everyone to have their eyes on me...NOT fidgeting with pencils, nametags, or desks! As I was explaining something, there were about 7 kids who were constantly opening and closing their desks...so each and every word that I spoke ended with some sort of "clunk" or slam. I had to stop what I was saying, went to the nearest desk and asked the class, "Do you hear this? *clunk!* Do you hear this? *clunk!*" and I did that about five times at different kids' desks. I said that the sound of desks opening and closing WHILE I TALK is irritating, stressing the word slowly, loudly while stretching out the word. IRRR-IT-AAAAT-INNNNNNGGG. Then I said, "Class, please do not irritate me. Thank you." Wow...you should've seen their faces. I would've loved to have gotten a picture of that. Talk about Kodak moment. LOL!
Okay, I'll stop. I'm making me sound like a mean teacher. ;-)
In any case, the day went much better than yesterday. Just had a parent complain about a boy talking to their daughter about "bananas and peaches"....and I don't mean fruit. While trying to contain my laughter, all I could think about was, "Is THAT what kids are calling their thingys and yoohoos nowadays???" LOL!
Oh and not to forget the beautiful tulips that hubby had delivered to the school....so so sweet! They were actually delivered yesterday, but arrived after I left school in the afternoon. Even so, hubby kept up with the "tradition" of surprising me with flowers on the first day of school. Thanks babe!
TGIF...I can't believe I'm already looking forward to the weekend starting already....now if I could only get through tomorrow...
I feel like it's been forever since I've posted. Now that I'm back to work, I just realized that this whole blogging business began when I was in MN, aka, unemployed. During the past two weeks, I've been so busy preparing the classroom and preparing myself mentally that I simply did not have the time nor the desire to write out my thoughts. Man...how do you people find the time?! LOL! Or, it could be that this whole dial-up thang at my parents is such a hassle that if I don't have to be online, I'd rather not be unless it's to check mail. But in case ya'll were wondering, I'm still alive. =)
Back to School
Yesterday was the first day of school. Yesterday marked THE return of MnM in the classroom after a two-year absence. Yesterday was THE day when I had to remind myself what it was like to be in front of 27 pairs of eyes that belong to 27 little busybodies who have 27 little mouths that, for the life of me, could not stop talking! Yes, yes, excitement was in the air...it WAS the first day of school after a nice long 3 month or so vacation after all. These rugrats haven't seen their friends, they're meeting a new teacher, being in a new classroom, adjusting to so many things that of course, it's natural for their attention spans to slowly come back to fully working order. I always feel sorry for the kids on the first day of school because teachers are trying to establish routines, have them learn procedures, and ram so much information down their throats that they obviously will not remember after the first five minutes. All they want to do is play. But then again, I always feel sorry for the teachers, too, because they are antsy to get into a good routine and get going with school. I believe that there is always a part of the teacher that half dreads the first day of school and half looks forward to it. They love to teach and be with children and yet, first days are always a headache. Mine was a headache.
While I would rather not go into details about how the day went, I will share that after school and running errands, I lay down for a nap...and didn't wake up until 2am this morning! Blame it on the first day of school nerves and all the anxiety that comes with going from waking up whenever I wanted because I ain't got a job to what, I have to be there at what time?! (7am). On the first day of school, I was running on adrenaline, two hours of restless sleep, and lots and lots of prayer. When I lay my head on that pillow at 5:30pm yesterday afternoon, my body basically yelled "Why the heck did you put me through that hell for?!" It was pure exhaustion...no joke. I forget what it feels like to be constantly on your feet. Man, what I would do for a good foot rub and massage! Over all, I have to say that it was a rough day...not a terrible day, just a rough day.
Today, on the other hand, went much better...thank God! Fortunately, I have a knack for remembering kids' names quickly so that was one less thing to worry about. I had to quietly laugh to myself yesterday because I "figured out" who my "special kids" were not even five minutes into the school day. Special, as in, the names that other teachers will definitely hear about...OFTEN! There was this one particular boy who was constantly yapping a mile a minute. I remember thinking, "Oh, THIS is that kid." But then today, although he was just as talkative, I saw him in a different light. He's actually a cute kid, smart, friendly, and nice. If he was a punk, it would definitely be a whole different ballgame. But he's not. He just likes to talk and needs to learn when it's okay to talk and when it's not. I have a funny feeling that he may turn out to be one of my favorites! (ssshhhh...don't tell the other kids!)
Can I just dispel one myth about boys and girls? I've always heard that having more girls in the class is a good sign that there will be less behavioral and/or talking problems. NOT! While I have thought that at one time, this is definitely not the case. I have this one lil' (not so little!) girl who raises her hand for EVERY SINGLE SOLITARY THING. She's an only child, which btw, may explain a lot about her personality...I'll leave it at that. My biggest irk is when kids call out without raising her hand. But it's an even bigger irk when kids ARE raising their hands, but call out before being called on. I hate that! Then when I reprimand and correct them, I get a sassy remark like, "But I WAS raising my hand." But ooohhhhh....don't even try to be like that with me, little girl! Yes it was the first day of school and I had to adjust to being in the classroom environment, but today, it all came back. After talking about respecting yourself and others, and after reviewing HOW to listen in class, I had to let them know what the word "irritate" meant...
As talkative as these chitlins are, they somehow find it fascinating to open and close their desks. They have one of those desktops that open up, but if you're not careful, they will slam. When I am talking, I EXPECT everyone to have their eyes on me...NOT fidgeting with pencils, nametags, or desks! As I was explaining something, there were about 7 kids who were constantly opening and closing their desks...so each and every word that I spoke ended with some sort of "clunk" or slam. I had to stop what I was saying, went to the nearest desk and asked the class, "Do you hear this? *clunk!* Do you hear this? *clunk!*" and I did that about five times at different kids' desks. I said that the sound of desks opening and closing WHILE I TALK is irritating, stressing the word slowly, loudly while stretching out the word. IRRR-IT-AAAAT-INNNNNNGGG. Then I said, "Class, please do not irritate me. Thank you." Wow...you should've seen their faces. I would've loved to have gotten a picture of that. Talk about Kodak moment. LOL!
Okay, I'll stop. I'm making me sound like a mean teacher. ;-)
In any case, the day went much better than yesterday. Just had a parent complain about a boy talking to their daughter about "bananas and peaches"....and I don't mean fruit. While trying to contain my laughter, all I could think about was, "Is THAT what kids are calling their thingys and yoohoos nowadays???" LOL!
Oh and not to forget the beautiful tulips that hubby had delivered to the school....so so sweet! They were actually delivered yesterday, but arrived after I left school in the afternoon. Even so, hubby kept up with the "tradition" of surprising me with flowers on the first day of school. Thanks babe!
TGIF...I can't believe I'm already looking forward to the weekend starting already....now if I could only get through tomorrow...
Sunday, August 14, 2005
Feeling My Age
Last night I did something that I hadn't done in a majorly long time...I pulled an all-nighter. Because the kids are here from San Diego, we hosted a sleepover with the kids from church so that they could all hang out. Keep in mind that we're all still recovering from our day-to-day activities and so wherever we go and no matter how short or long the drive is, one or all three of the kids end up stealing a nap whenever they could. The sleepover should've started around 7pm-ish, but because of people running on Filipino time, the gang was complete by about 10pm. We just chilled out in the living room before deciding to pop in "Message in a Bottle." Since it was an all-girl thang, some of 'em were in a mood for some mushy-corny story. While some of them could not fully "concentrate" during the movie, the parts where I would usually cry instead turned to jeers and hurled comments toward the TV with, "How corny naman!" or "Can they get any cornier?" or "Oh my goshness!" After that, we put in "Phantom of the Opera," but because it was already getting late, the focus factor was out the door. I know they all thought the singing was cool, but I'm almost positive much of the storyline was jumbled. This being the first sleepover we've had at our house, I just thought it fun to have the kiddies over for a night of laughs and silliness.
I have, however, heard of the extracurricular activies that these kids partake in during other sleepovers. Namely, messing with the unfortunate souls who fall asleep first and in this case, it's usually the same person! To be "safe" from any practical jokes and whatnot, I made a pot of coffee. I have to say...I am no longer the huge coffee drinker that I once was and when I did down my one lil' cup, the caffeine somehow decided to kick in at about 4ish in the morning. Great. Along with two other gals, we basically did not get any sleep at all!
Oh man...did we pay for it at church! Albeit that we were all groggy and totally out of it, it's still embarrassingly funny to see people do the whole head bopping and nodding up and down and all around in the attempts to stay awake. In fact, Soleil caught me falling asleep with my head falling back! If I was shorter I swear I would've hit my head on the pew...looking back, maybe that would've woken me up! That actually woke me up somewhat because my head must've fallen so far back I think I've got whiplash. No joke.
After church, we all came home and we just crashed for a few hours. I don't think I could do that again. I swear, it's times like these when I start to feel my age!
Let's review: sore arms and legs from swimming, sore feet from exploring Mall of America and shopping, sore calves and thighs from jumping in the inflatable thingy, sore back from all of the above, and now, lack of sleep. Plus, I leave for da city tomorrow night and still have last minute packing to do. I am mentally exhausted as well as physically tired. But after arriving to CA tomorrow night, it's back to work on Tuesday. Man oh man...it's going to be a long night tonight and tomorrow.
Last night I did something that I hadn't done in a majorly long time...I pulled an all-nighter. Because the kids are here from San Diego, we hosted a sleepover with the kids from church so that they could all hang out. Keep in mind that we're all still recovering from our day-to-day activities and so wherever we go and no matter how short or long the drive is, one or all three of the kids end up stealing a nap whenever they could. The sleepover should've started around 7pm-ish, but because of people running on Filipino time, the gang was complete by about 10pm. We just chilled out in the living room before deciding to pop in "Message in a Bottle." Since it was an all-girl thang, some of 'em were in a mood for some mushy-corny story. While some of them could not fully "concentrate" during the movie, the parts where I would usually cry instead turned to jeers and hurled comments toward the TV with, "How corny naman!" or "Can they get any cornier?" or "Oh my goshness!" After that, we put in "Phantom of the Opera," but because it was already getting late, the focus factor was out the door. I know they all thought the singing was cool, but I'm almost positive much of the storyline was jumbled. This being the first sleepover we've had at our house, I just thought it fun to have the kiddies over for a night of laughs and silliness.
I have, however, heard of the extracurricular activies that these kids partake in during other sleepovers. Namely, messing with the unfortunate souls who fall asleep first and in this case, it's usually the same person! To be "safe" from any practical jokes and whatnot, I made a pot of coffee. I have to say...I am no longer the huge coffee drinker that I once was and when I did down my one lil' cup, the caffeine somehow decided to kick in at about 4ish in the morning. Great. Along with two other gals, we basically did not get any sleep at all!
Oh man...did we pay for it at church! Albeit that we were all groggy and totally out of it, it's still embarrassingly funny to see people do the whole head bopping and nodding up and down and all around in the attempts to stay awake. In fact, Soleil caught me falling asleep with my head falling back! If I was shorter I swear I would've hit my head on the pew...looking back, maybe that would've woken me up! That actually woke me up somewhat because my head must've fallen so far back I think I've got whiplash. No joke.
After church, we all came home and we just crashed for a few hours. I don't think I could do that again. I swear, it's times like these when I start to feel my age!
Let's review: sore arms and legs from swimming, sore feet from exploring Mall of America and shopping, sore calves and thighs from jumping in the inflatable thingy, sore back from all of the above, and now, lack of sleep. Plus, I leave for da city tomorrow night and still have last minute packing to do. I am mentally exhausted as well as physically tired. But after arriving to CA tomorrow night, it's back to work on Tuesday. Man oh man...it's going to be a long night tonight and tomorrow.
Note To Self:
Just because there is one of those inflatable jumper thingys at an 8-year old's birthday party doesn't necessarily mean that chickas my age should be jumping in them. Sure it was all fun and laughs being all silly with the other 40s and up crew, but my knees, calves, thighs, and back are paying for it. Can I just say MOTRIN???
Just because there is one of those inflatable jumper thingys at an 8-year old's birthday party doesn't necessarily mean that chickas my age should be jumping in them. Sure it was all fun and laughs being all silly with the other 40s and up crew, but my knees, calves, thighs, and back are paying for it. Can I just say MOTRIN???
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Time Flies...Part Deux
So I was just rereading my last post and I had cut it short because I had loads of laundry to do. Alas, nothing has changed! With three extra heads in the house comes three extra plates of food, three extra plates of dishes, three extra pairs of shoes lined up, and lots of extra clothes for laundry. But I can't complain 'cuz it's been nice to have a full house. I don't actually have to figure out how to cook for two anymore and the house is rarely as quiet as it usually is. I like it.
I can say that this is the first time that this house has had REAL guests...not that when some of the church kids sleep over that they're not real, but that hubby's kids aren't here for just an overnight stay. Of course they're not real guests either because they consider this to be their second home away from home.
Our sleeping patterns are definitely jacked up. And because our sleeping patterns are jacked, so are our eating schedules. But we're getting better. The kids needed extra time to sleep in and with all the "pashal-pashal" we've been doing, we all end up coming back home exhausted. Just the other day, we spent about 2-3 hours in the pool (and yes, MnM finally got some color!). Later in the evening, I felt the soreness in my legs and arms. The following day, we spent some time at the Mall of America. The kiddies got to ride the rides and although we didn't do tons of walking around the mall itself, the whole waiting in line for the rides was hell on my feet. For some reason, the mall was unusually crowded. Argh. I mean, c'mon people, aren't ya'll supposed to be at work?! Lol! Well, I suppose that the summer months ARE prime time for tourists anyways, but still, we just chose a wrong day to go to MOA. Then the day after that, we headed out to the malls to do some shopping. I tell you, I feel like I haven't been on my feet so much like I've been these past few days!
Oh, and to top it all off, I've become the designated playmate Noe, the youngest. Again, I can't complain because she's the funniest thing! Plus for the past few days, she's always been the first to get up in the morning. I can always tell when she's up because she's either walking around (and you could hear when people are walking around) or I can hear her open up our bedroom door, peek in, and then close the door again. Or, I'll wake up, do my bathroom morning routine, and when I'm done, I'll find her in our room playing with Legos on the floor or sitting on our bed. But the cutest thing is how as disheveled and sleepy-eyed as she is, she'll always greet you with a cheery "Good Morning!"
Anyways, I don't have time to post pics...dang, I still have to put up Mrs. Lily's wedding! But when I get back to the Bay, I'll try my best not to forget. I leave for da city on Monday evening and yes, I'm pretty bummed that I won't be around for the rest of their stay here in MN. It's been cool...hanging out, talking about boys, shopping, and whatnot. OH...totally forgot to mention that I colored the two older girls' hair! Aiya! All I said was, "You guys better check in with your mom FIRST before I do anything!" 'Tis all good though....turns out that they've been wanting to color their hair for some time now, so in essence, I got to play Salon with them. So girly! LOL!
So yah, I'm sad to be leaving, but totally glad to have some spent some time with them, however short. When I get back, it'll be time for school. But not to worry about hubby...I will be back in MN for Labor Day 'cuz hubby and I will be driving my beloved Honda back to CA. We WILL make the trip in TWO days!!! Hopefully...
Okay...laundry awaits again....
Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send some belated shout-outs to some people whose birthdays I missed. For some reason, August is filled with birthday babies!
The Weekender turned 31 on the 1st of the month! Happy belated girly! Her and some other Leos had a huge bash at Zebulons in the city. Apparently it was a reunion of sorts of hella PACE/SFSTATE heads! Other August babies include Dr. C, Mr. JP, and XPOrider, too. Wanted to send a Happy 2nd birthday to Mommy Hernandez's lil' Noah! Happy birthday sweetie pie! Lastly, just wanted to send a huge congratulations to the Low family for the arrival of baby daughter Lindsey who arrived on August 4th. Even though I might've missed these special days, ya'll were in my thoughts and prayers! Much love ya'll!
So I was just rereading my last post and I had cut it short because I had loads of laundry to do. Alas, nothing has changed! With three extra heads in the house comes three extra plates of food, three extra plates of dishes, three extra pairs of shoes lined up, and lots of extra clothes for laundry. But I can't complain 'cuz it's been nice to have a full house. I don't actually have to figure out how to cook for two anymore and the house is rarely as quiet as it usually is. I like it.
I can say that this is the first time that this house has had REAL guests...not that when some of the church kids sleep over that they're not real, but that hubby's kids aren't here for just an overnight stay. Of course they're not real guests either because they consider this to be their second home away from home.
Our sleeping patterns are definitely jacked up. And because our sleeping patterns are jacked, so are our eating schedules. But we're getting better. The kids needed extra time to sleep in and with all the "pashal-pashal" we've been doing, we all end up coming back home exhausted. Just the other day, we spent about 2-3 hours in the pool (and yes, MnM finally got some color!). Later in the evening, I felt the soreness in my legs and arms. The following day, we spent some time at the Mall of America. The kiddies got to ride the rides and although we didn't do tons of walking around the mall itself, the whole waiting in line for the rides was hell on my feet. For some reason, the mall was unusually crowded. Argh. I mean, c'mon people, aren't ya'll supposed to be at work?! Lol! Well, I suppose that the summer months ARE prime time for tourists anyways, but still, we just chose a wrong day to go to MOA. Then the day after that, we headed out to the malls to do some shopping. I tell you, I feel like I haven't been on my feet so much like I've been these past few days!
Oh, and to top it all off, I've become the designated playmate Noe, the youngest. Again, I can't complain because she's the funniest thing! Plus for the past few days, she's always been the first to get up in the morning. I can always tell when she's up because she's either walking around (and you could hear when people are walking around) or I can hear her open up our bedroom door, peek in, and then close the door again. Or, I'll wake up, do my bathroom morning routine, and when I'm done, I'll find her in our room playing with Legos on the floor or sitting on our bed. But the cutest thing is how as disheveled and sleepy-eyed as she is, she'll always greet you with a cheery "Good Morning!"
Anyways, I don't have time to post pics...dang, I still have to put up Mrs. Lily's wedding! But when I get back to the Bay, I'll try my best not to forget. I leave for da city on Monday evening and yes, I'm pretty bummed that I won't be around for the rest of their stay here in MN. It's been cool...hanging out, talking about boys, shopping, and whatnot. OH...totally forgot to mention that I colored the two older girls' hair! Aiya! All I said was, "You guys better check in with your mom FIRST before I do anything!" 'Tis all good though....turns out that they've been wanting to color their hair for some time now, so in essence, I got to play Salon with them. So girly! LOL!
So yah, I'm sad to be leaving, but totally glad to have some spent some time with them, however short. When I get back, it'll be time for school. But not to worry about hubby...I will be back in MN for Labor Day 'cuz hubby and I will be driving my beloved Honda back to CA. We WILL make the trip in TWO days!!! Hopefully...
Okay...laundry awaits again....
Shout-Outs
Just wanted to send some belated shout-outs to some people whose birthdays I missed. For some reason, August is filled with birthday babies!
The Weekender turned 31 on the 1st of the month! Happy belated girly! Her and some other Leos had a huge bash at Zebulons in the city. Apparently it was a reunion of sorts of hella PACE/SFSTATE heads! Other August babies include Dr. C, Mr. JP, and XPOrider, too. Wanted to send a Happy 2nd birthday to Mommy Hernandez's lil' Noah! Happy birthday sweetie pie! Lastly, just wanted to send a huge congratulations to the Low family for the arrival of baby daughter Lindsey who arrived on August 4th. Even though I might've missed these special days, ya'll were in my thoughts and prayers! Much love ya'll!
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Time Flies!
Man, where does the time go?! From my last post, I was in da Bay trying to settle back into homelife with the parents and busy setting up the classroom. Currently, I'm back in MN, readjusting to the freakingly hot and humid weather. This whole back and forth has got my body going overtime from cold, foggy nights to the whole sweatin'-even-though-I'm-just-sitting-here activities. I can't complain, though, I have missed the comfort of my own bed.
Being back doesn't mean a break from the classroom prep stuff- on the contrary! I've been running around to teacher supply stores, printing up a storm with class lists and other necessary paperwork, and all the while trying to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming school year. I don't feel ready just yet. I mean, being back at Cornerstone while I was setting up was yet another surreal experience. After my last year teaching, I was completely and utterly sad. I felt as if I found my niche in the whole scheme of things- teaching. While I knew that Cornerstone would be a stepping stone of sorts, I still missed it and the many people who I worked with. Being back is weird...so many changes. Not that change is a bad thing. 'Tis just a lot to digest and take in is all. Well, my biggest hope is that despite all of the nervousness I feel and nevermind the fact that it's been TWO YEARS since I've been in front of a classroom, I hope and pray that after the first initial ten minutes of the first day of school that something just clicks in my head and that it all comes back to me. I hope.
Haven't had time to post some pics of Mrs. Lily's wedding just yet- it turned out to be a beautiful day though! The morning started off foggy and overcast, but just as the ceremony began, the sun broke through. Nice. Mrs. Lily looked like a princess in her gown and wow, she has never looked happier. Dinner was a 10-course dinner...or at least I think it was 10...I stopped counting after the lechon. Crispy skin...yum! Besides the fact that everything was in Chinese, it was nice to see familiar faces and catch up on what I've missed. Pics to come soon...
So being back in MN has been good...I've had time to hang out with hubby, discuss things here and there, and just spend time with him. It's been weird to be away from him for so long and being back home has been good. The kids fly in from San Diego tonight and we will be having a full house! I'm excited to see them and just hope that they'll enjoy their stay. I'm here for one more week and by the time I get back to the Bay, it's straight to work for me.
I totally hate it when there's a lull in between blog posts...I tend to want to write about everything that's happened! But laundry loads await...
Man, where does the time go?! From my last post, I was in da Bay trying to settle back into homelife with the parents and busy setting up the classroom. Currently, I'm back in MN, readjusting to the freakingly hot and humid weather. This whole back and forth has got my body going overtime from cold, foggy nights to the whole sweatin'-even-though-I'm-just-sitting-here activities. I can't complain, though, I have missed the comfort of my own bed.
Being back doesn't mean a break from the classroom prep stuff- on the contrary! I've been running around to teacher supply stores, printing up a storm with class lists and other necessary paperwork, and all the while trying to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming school year. I don't feel ready just yet. I mean, being back at Cornerstone while I was setting up was yet another surreal experience. After my last year teaching, I was completely and utterly sad. I felt as if I found my niche in the whole scheme of things- teaching. While I knew that Cornerstone would be a stepping stone of sorts, I still missed it and the many people who I worked with. Being back is weird...so many changes. Not that change is a bad thing. 'Tis just a lot to digest and take in is all. Well, my biggest hope is that despite all of the nervousness I feel and nevermind the fact that it's been TWO YEARS since I've been in front of a classroom, I hope and pray that after the first initial ten minutes of the first day of school that something just clicks in my head and that it all comes back to me. I hope.
Haven't had time to post some pics of Mrs. Lily's wedding just yet- it turned out to be a beautiful day though! The morning started off foggy and overcast, but just as the ceremony began, the sun broke through. Nice. Mrs. Lily looked like a princess in her gown and wow, she has never looked happier. Dinner was a 10-course dinner...or at least I think it was 10...I stopped counting after the lechon. Crispy skin...yum! Besides the fact that everything was in Chinese, it was nice to see familiar faces and catch up on what I've missed. Pics to come soon...
So being back in MN has been good...I've had time to hang out with hubby, discuss things here and there, and just spend time with him. It's been weird to be away from him for so long and being back home has been good. The kids fly in from San Diego tonight and we will be having a full house! I'm excited to see them and just hope that they'll enjoy their stay. I'm here for one more week and by the time I get back to the Bay, it's straight to work for me.
I totally hate it when there's a lull in between blog posts...I tend to want to write about everything that's happened! But laundry loads await...
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