Emoticons

I am still working on getting my 100% teaching certificate. As part of my work, I have to do internship projects throughout the teaching year and turn them into my Alternative Certification Program.

I am about to write up my first assignment. I was a little nervous about how tough they were going to grade my work, so I started reading their help section.

This is one part of it.

I have to agree that sometimes online -in chats- it may be difficult to express emotion.

I was an international relations major and you don't use emoticons in professional writing. (and basically anyone who went to college or high school can attest to this.)

So the point? I guess they won't be taking it that seriously. I'll let you know.

TV

Someone at work said the other day that TV today isn't what it used to be.

Well, it isn't, but who said that is a bad thing?

Yes, this is premiere week for like every TV show I love. And all the new ones I am super excited about.

It starts with How I Met Your Mother.

--She just went through a break-up.
--With hygiene?

Sammie

Sammie posted on her blog for my birthday.

Although it is almost two weeks late, I posted on my other blog for her birthday. Go check it out.

Learning Patience

It has officially been 1 year since Chris and I started trying to have a baby. Obviously, we have no baby yet.

The past year has been hard. After the first month and a negative pregnancy test, I cried a lot. I was hoping we would be one of those couples who would quickly get pregnant. But I knew it was too good to be true. Then the second month came around and another negative. I cried more. Than the third month... you get the picture. I have cried a lot.

The last few months I have been able to distract myself and focus on other things. I haven't cried about this since about June. I am pretty proud of myself for being able to hold it together.

But I don't think I have just been distracted. I have learned a lot in the last year.

There is a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants 98:1-2:

"Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord..."

I have "Not thy will only Lord, but thy timing also" written next to it. It isn't easy accepting Heavenly Father's plan for Chris and I when it isn't what I want. It has been a lot of prayer, fasting and scripture study to finally get to the point I am at today.

I know that one day I will get to be a Mother. I will get to hold a little baby in my arms and love him or her unconditionally from the beginning. I am still not sure when or how. While I would love to know the answers to those questions, I don't need to know them to be happy. I know that Heavenly Father loves Chris and I and is watching out for us.

In the mean time, I am not just someone waiting to be a Mother. There are so many roles that I have and I can work to be the best at what I am doing. I am a wife and a teacher. And I am not perfect in either of those areas.

President Uchtdorf said

"I learned that patience was far more than simply waiting for something to happen—patience required actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn’t appear instantly or without effort.

There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can—working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well!"

Right now I can say that I am enduring well.

Too Young

I was going to show a video to my students for Constitution day yesterday. (We didn't get to watch it because they would not stop talking! But that is besides the point)

It was a clip from 1776 the musical which has Mr. Feeny in it. I asked them if they had heard of the show Boy Meet World. And not one student had. How horrible is that!



Don't they show reruns of this anymore?

Needles

"The Texas Department of State Health Services will be available to administer the flu vaccine to all NISD employees and their families Monday, September 20, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. "

The first time I read this email two weeks ago, I freaked out. I could feel my face getting warm and my stomach start to church almost immediately. If they had told me I would have to get a shot to teach, I might have seriously considered it.

As soon as I could calm myself down, I ran into my teach teacher/mentor's room and asked her if we were required to get a flu shot. She assured me that it was not required. Hopefully they don't change their mind. Because I might just freak out.

Last time I got a shot, I fainted. Literally. I was 16 and I was getting my tetnus shot. I always tell myself that I won't watch. When it comes down to it though, I can't tear my eyes away. I watched the needle go in and then come out. Then I turned to my dad sitting next to me and fainted.

So no, I don't think I will be getting the shot. I'll need someone there with me and it is a long drive.

Tired

This is how you know I am extremely tired. Not "it's the middle of the day I want nap" tired.

1. I am a little mean to you.

2. My words don't make sense.

For example, we went to Sonic tonight. I told Chris that I wanted a Reese's Sub. Instead of a Reese's Blast. I also wrote earlier that I put a blog on my button. Instead of a button on my blog.

And that is why I go to bed by 10pm every night. Because if I don't, I just sound silly.

"For like a minute!..."

**Look I added a blog to my button!**--------------------->

New Dress A Day

I wish I was this creative. This girl spends $1 or less a day on a used clothing item and remakes it into something new.

Like this:

Into this:

Sleep

I love my sleep. And I make sure that I get it. And I hate being tired. Like, I loathe the feeling.

I have to wake up at 6am every morning. I know that there are some people who have to wake up earlier, but I haven't woken up that early consistently since early morning seminary in high school. The past 6 years, the earliest thing I had was an 8am class or work at 8am. So I woke up at 7:20.

But now, its 6am. Surprisingly I am not extremely tired throughout the day, without a nap! But I attribute that to one thing.

I am in bed by 10pm. Sometimes earlier. I have heard people say that you should just expect to go through life tired.

Um, no. I do not understand that. You are supposed to prioritize the important things and to me, sleep is up there.

Why go through life tired when there is an easy solution? Go to bed earlier.

I get the important stuff done. If that means I sit in my room and not watch TV to finish it, then I can do that. (Thank goodness for DVR.) If that means working on Saturday or a Friday night, then I'll do it.

Maybe in five (or less) years my attitude will change. But you know that if they say "sleep when the baby sleeps" that I will do it. Who cares if the kitchen is dirty.

Trust me, me sleeping is for your benefit. When I am tired, I am not the nicest person. I don't try to be mean, but for some reason if I talk when I am tired I make someone upset.

(**I am aware that some people have circumstances in their life that make it impossible for them to go to bed earlier. Some people may not loathe being tired as much as I do and they prioritize sleep somewhere else. We are all different.)

New TV

Here are my plans for the fall for new TV shows. In case you need to know how I spend 85% of my "free" time. 

Monday

Mike and Molly

Tuesday

Running Wilde

Wednesday

Better with You

Undercovers

Thursday

Nikita

Outsourced

TV

Did you know that I L.O.V.E Television? You should; I repeat it enough times.

I am going to copy Sammie and give you my tv schedule for the fall. But... I think there are so many shows that I'll have to divide it up into returning shows and new shows.

There are more shows that will get recorded but I'll only watch if I have nothing else to watch on a Saturday or something. These are my "I have to watch every week shows."

Monday

How I Met Your Mother

Tuesday

NCIS

Glee

Parenthood

Wednesday

Modern Family

Cougar Town

Thursday

Big Bang Theory

The Office

Community

30 Rock

Friday

Supernatural

Wash Your Hands

I was sitting in my classroom yesterday when I heard this in the hallway.

Teacher: If you need to wash your hands before recess, go wash them now.

Pause


Teacher: Don't lick you hands!

Mind you, these are fifth graders.

Hello

I have only been teaching for a week and a half. But I think that I am already feeling what teachers feel and have experienced a lot in the past week.

I have been accidently spit on, talked to parents, gotten notes (excuses) on why a student couldn't do their homework, have a student cry, been told I am the best teacher, have a student tell me they don't want to be in my class, had to address bad language...

There is probably more. I am still getting used to everything. I am so exhausted; I didn't know I could feel like this.

But mostly I really hope I can teach these children life lessons. Don't tell them, but they won't use expanded notation in the real world. They won't need to know different periods of numbers.

But they do need to know that you shouldn't expect to be rewarded for good behavior, it something you should just do it. They should know to take responsibility for their actions and not say "It wasn't me." Or "What did I do?"

I know they are only 10-11 years old. But now is as good of time as ever to start learning.

I am so ready for Labor Day.