Playing Susie Homemaker

Track-Out has taught me one thing...

I have sick deluded fantasies of being a housewife. And I don't mean the ass-kicking, name-taking,  efficient, volunteering, van driving, powerwalking, dry-clean picking-uping kind of housewife. I mean the black and white kind that were frequently featured on nick at nite.

This week I've gotten a lot of grown up things accomplished you know things involving insurance, gas companies, mechanics, and payroll at HR. Like BORING grown up stuff. I did manage to make it to the gym at least. :)

But then, when that is finished, I start cleaning up around the house. Folding laundry, vacuuming the floor, loading/unloading the dishwasher, taking care of my furkid....etc. Then, about 30 minutes before Crystal gets off of work I put dinner in the oven and go get myself cleaned up.

So to sum it up, when she walks in the door dinner is ready, the house is clean, the (fur)kid is happy and quiet, and I am (mildly) presentable. Usually dinner is served on the couch in front of the current Netflix obsession.

Add some pearls and an up-do and it begins to more closely resemble Cleaver-ville. Albeit slightly non conventional Cleaver-ville....but you follow.

And you know, I think it's ok that I'm enjoying this little fantasy of mine. My mind  and body needed a break from the stresses of moving, starting a new job, and dealing with all the changes in my life.

But, who knew that under my liberal and feminist exterior lurked just a touch of a traditionalist? Certainly, not me.

Friday night in the big city...?

Ok. So for the entire 11 months I lived in New Bern I talked (nonstop) about all the things I missed about Raleigh. All the things to DO and places to GO. I couldn't WAIT to get back.

So it makes absolute sense that last Friday night I got together with some of my favorites and we decided to THROW DOWN. That's right folks. You heard it here first. SCRABBLE.

Scrabble?

Eesh.

We started out with a nice dinner at Tripp's (yummmm) and took the required "This is us sitting in a booth about to eat food prepared by the hands of others" photos.

Once those photos were out of the way we commenced with our dinner. After things really got out of control. Yep, that's when the board games entered the scene.

And we had really awesome luck the WHOLE GAME. See. Proof. 

At one point, Kelly decided her time would be much better spent as an Eastern Princess. Fortunately she was wearing some bohemian jewelery that stood in nicely for a crown.

Once she was done playing princess she put down some words. Turns out we are not so dumb after all.

And, I won...therefore the evening ended happily.

And such is the life of a twenty something, on a Friday night....in the big city.
And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Today is a good day. Today I feel like I am adequate at my job and maybe I made a difference in the life of my students.

There are days where it is very easy to forget why I became a teacher. The days that paperwork outweighs the time I spent with my kids. The days the kids talked more than I taught. The days that Autism, ADHD, sensory disorders, and learning disabilities seem insurmountable rather than just a part of the package.

Today was not one of those days. Today I laughed with my students, played with my students, and learned with my students. I was a math expert, a reading consultant, a caterpillar wrangler, and a sidewalk chalk artist. I was a mediator, a therapist, a first aid aficionado, an organizational consultant, a hairdresser, a cheerleader, a peacekeeper, and a traffic director. Before and after school I also managed to be a professional, a collaborator, a data collector, and even a friend as I sat and laughed with my team.

Today I remembered why it is all worth it. I remembered why I love my job.

Today I realized how lucky I am to be where I want to be, with the friends I chose for myself, in a profession I was meant to be a part of.

If that wasn't enough- this is what I came home to yesterday...

And on top of all of that- my apartment is clean. Clearly the planets are aligned.
(The only thing missing is YOU, Anna Morgante)

A (less than) triumphant return

Ok. So I had dreams of being this amazing blogger. I wanted to be (internet)famous which, seriously, is the only kind of famous that even matters anymore.

But alas. My real, 3-D, grown up life has taken over my dreams of digital stardom, which I suppose just means  I finally got that "life" i've been trying to acquire since graduating from college. In actuality I guess celebrations are in order.

So, updates.

New Job, 1.
Offers to return to old job part time (hello caffeine!), 1 
New apartments, 1
Number of storage bins still containing classroom stuff, one million
School nights spent going to bed at a reasonable hour rather than hanging out with fabulous Raleigh type friends....um 2.

Seriously though. Iamsobusy. It's ridiculous. School is and always will be a beast at the beginning of the year. This year has been even worse because, well, hello new school, new county, new grade level, new school calendar. I'm finally starting to feel like I'm gaining on some things rather than just treading water. And this is doubly a good thing. Not only is this good for my career but it makes me a muuuuuuch nicer person to be around. I am looking forward to the return of fun "I love to be a teacher but I have a life outside of school" Jen as opposed to "RAHH I am so stressed out I don't have time to talk to you about anything but how stressed out I am" Jen.

Plus plus plus...I track out in THREE WEEKS. Count 'em. My track out includes- nights with fabulous Raleigh type people, a trip to CALIFORNIA to visit a displaced awesome Raleigh type person, and a roadtrip to Edenton to watch a friend get hitched.  And even after all of that I will still have time to write lesson plans/stalk facebook/get back to the gym/ abuse netflix/ terrorize my favorite New Bernians for the start of their school year. Lovehappylovelove.

Some old guy once said "It's not where you are but who you're with." Weellllll...I do agree that who you are with has a lot to do with how you feel. But sometimes where you are makes a big difference too. I love my hometown and alllllll my friends and family there. But, for me, it was too hard to be a grown up in the place where I grew up. Here I feel like I can be just a little more "me"....whatever that means these days.

So anyhow, I'm semi-settled and realizing that after agonizing over every life choice I've made in the past month (which has been an unusually high number for such a short period of time) that I've made good ones. I still have a lot to figure out....but at least now I believe that I can do it.

So I'm not internet famous...but I'm happy. Beat that.  <3

(School) Year End Summary

August to June flew by...in some respects. In others it felt like the end of the year would never come. However, looking back on the year it's crazy to think how much stuff happened.

Number of moves, 2
Total first graders taught, 23
Largest class size at any one time, 21
Kids that tested my patience beyond any practical limit, 2 
Assessments given, 1,000,000
Nose Bleeds (not mine..the kids!), oh, tons. 
Children with (regularly) wet pants, 2 
Ringworm (mine), 2
Bronchitis (mine), 2
Pneumonia (mine), 2
JTB Favorites, 6
Pounds lost, approx. 30
Interviews, 2
Job Offers, 2 
New Beginning, 1

I am so nervous for what is to come, but I can't help but be excited too. Good things are to come. Sometimes you have to let go of something good because something better is around the corner. (I'll just keep telling myself that. :)

Done being emo...(for now).

The last post was...a little too emo for me. And I WROTE the thing. But, hey. It was what I was feeling and, hello...I have an English degree. I totally buy that "if you write it down it helps" theory. But, today I've decided that being emo and sad is terribly overrated and I like myself more when I am up as opposed to down and so, today I begin again.

While I know that certain things will haunt me for a while, and that I will have more afternoons on a certain friends porch talking, crying, laughing, and even yelling, I also know that I am more than this. And, I deserve more than this. I know this because I have people tripping over themselves to tell me these things. And today, I choose to believe THEM instead of the words of another.

Big changes are coming. And, while I'm not sure exactly when, how, and even in what form some of these changes will be occurring in, I am OK. 23 is a good year for some changes, I think.

Plus, If I'm going to stick with this whole "Trust the Universe" thing...I better shut up and just do it. I'm not a big one for horoscopes, but the past two weeks mine have been spot on. It does make you wonder what kind of crazy cosmic stuff is happening out there...and how it might affect our daily lives (I mean...teachers and health care professionals, we can't deny the power of a full moon, can we?)

Today:
Whatever you do today might open doors that will benefit both you and those close to you. Gird your loins and do whatever needs to be done. Later you'll be glad you did.

Tomorrow: 
You feel especially focused right now, and your intellect and emotions are in accord with what you need to do to accomplish your goals. Your physical energy and enthusiasm are strong, as is your determination. Go for the gold. 

Like I said, big changes. And I will be a better person for it. 

Dark and Twisty.

Have you ever been so in love and certain and warm and fuzzy that you thought you might explode?

I mean happiness. Truly happy. Well I have. And it was wonderful and I was pretty sure that it was going to last forever.

And then something happened. The worst part is that I don't know what that something was. Suddenly what was there...and solid...is gone.

So, I've got a pretty bad case of the dark and twistys as I fluctuate between  seriously considering hopping in my car to try to figure this out....and knowing the right thing to do is nothing at all.

So, here I am. Still on the fence about where my life is going....only the one thing I was sure of is up and gone.

I'm not going to lie...part of me still has hope. But, hope or no hope, I'm going to keep living my life, not sit on the couch watching Grey's Anatomy and eating chocolate.

Well, maybe that will happen once or twice. But I won't let it be a habit. :)