Fun that has been had

Fun. The last two months have been fun…a tad stressful at times, but overall FUN. A quick update in pictures

1: We went to a Foals concert on 4/18/13 at Marquee Theater in Tempe. Super good band, check them out if you haven’t already!

2: My sister was in town for the weekend in April. We got a chance to go out as an adult couple group. We went to Tapas Papas Frita and another hidden swanky bar after. If I could remember the name of the bar I’d tell you but …it escapes me at the moment. It was pretty cool, they had couches everywhere, it was dark and keg-like, plus live music and slow dancing. Next time me and the Mr. go, we are definitely dancing when sibling eyes are making fun of us, hehe. It was fun watching my sister and her hubs try after 5,000 attempts to get a picture they liked at dinner, lol. Such good looking family I have

3: We met the family at San Tan Flats on Saturday for lunch. This is cool place for kids; cowboys, ranch, fire pits, things to climb on…even smores at night!

4: Summa-summa-time! Yup April marks the start of summer in AZ. Get ready, it’s about to get SUPA hot!

Life progression

Holy Cats! Life changes fast!

I got a new job, put in my (very early) notice at a job I’ve been at for seven years, started exercising regularly, enrolled my baby into daycare full-time for the first time in his life….and what else…oh ya, moved back in with the rents. But it’s all good changes that I am very happy about.

I went and observed my soon-to-be co-worker yesterday in the classroom and I am so excited! I’m less nervous and quite stress free at this point in time, lol. I think this is going to be a great starting point for me. The classroom is very structured and the kids are incredibly behaved. The lesson plans are done….done. I was really worried about that. So I think my main challenge will be building the classroom culture and earning the student’s respect. I’m feeling positively jovial about the change though.

I started exercising at during lunch at the work gym. I haven’t lost any weight but feeling better about life in general. LOL. Also, I finished a “30 year old Bucket List” item today. I ran a 5K!!! Normally, ya, not that great of an accomplishment, but I’ve never done it…on purpose. I’ve ran over 3 miles at time but not entered into a race. Let’s also not bypass the fact that I am sick; slight fever, head cold, and cough. When I came across the finish I sat down ready to yak. Of course with my luck the President of The Educator was right behind and mildly worried. My manager said my face was drained of color….makes sense I was trying not to die the last 10 minutes. Either way; proud of myself.

Smiles is going to day care. I’m nervous but I think it’s time. Our beloved nanny had to make some changes which resulted in us having to make a hard decision. We adore her and Smiles thinks GG is his mommy (I’m not offended, I get it). Reasons aside, we found a place that we are comfortable with and they seem like they will take amazing care of him. Plus, it’s right behind the small airport by our homes and he is OB-sessed with planes, so he will be happy for sure. They do sprinkler and slip-n-slide Friday’s as well during the super hot AZ summers!! Kind of wish I could take Friday’s off and go slip-n’slide…. I hope he enjoys it and makes some friends. I think with him turning 3 this summer, it probably is time to “set him free” a little more.

Usually I’m not a big fan of change. But these changes are good and they are leading to a life I am dreaming about. I am so excited for the life I have and the life I imagine it to become.

It’s Official

I accepted a TEACHING POSITION yesterday!

I will be working at a local charter school that is super close to where I live. I am excited, terrified, hopeful, nervous and overwhelmed. I will be teaching 5th grade general studies. I start the teacher training on July 15 for 2 weeks, then 1 week of in-service meetings and meet the teacher (ya, That’s ME!) and then school starts! The school is “back to basics”; the students face forward, learn cursive, stand when reading, and the environment is very structured. They use the Spalding method which is the training I will be in for those two weeks. It reminds me of private school…minus the religion factor. I really like this style for me since I feel like that is where I did the best learning when I was growing up. I appreciate the public school style but as a new teacher I think structure is going to be very important for me to get my bearings.

My parent’s, Mr. 72 and Smiles took me out to dinner to celebrate with some Mexican food and margarita’s at Casa De Mina. (If you haven’t been there and you live in the area….you are missing out!).

THANK YOU to everyone who pushed me to take a chance on this and believed I would be a good teacher so I could have the confidence to finally reach a goal of mine. I’m always so scared of not completing goals that I generally don’t start….maybe this will be the starting point to taking more chances and pushing harder. It feels weird, I have to admit but great all at the same time.

If anyone out there has ideas on how to successfully reach, teach, and connect with 5th graders….I’m all EARS!

I’m so grateful that I got this job and that they are willing to take a chance on me. I can only hope I live up to everyone’s expectations.

Teaching

Oh my, decisions, decisions.

I have been working and researching how to get into a career in teaching. I’m at a crossroads right now. I may be able to get an internship through a school in conjunction with the department of education if I can get someone to hire me as an intern. If not, then I need to go back to school to get a degree or certificate in secondary education. I really would prefer not to get another degree until I decide if I want to go into administration …. but it may be necessary.

The issue is that to enroll in the teacher prep program at school, I have to have an intent to hire from a school that wants to hire me. Some schools require that I have enrolled in the program and have the intern certificate….but I can’t get that without an intent to hire! I’m going around in circles trying to figure out how to make that all happen. Hopefully, I can find a school that will give me the intent to hire on the condition I enroll in the program and get the certificate before starting the teaching position.

The issue with going back to school is that it will take me until end of Fall 2014 to complete all my classes and student teaching. Not really bad, but when you are 31 and a single-mom, you need to know what life may bring and where you will get money to pay for life if you don’t have a job while student teaching. Then, it’s rare that schools hire mid-year in January. So it may take me a whole eight more months to get a position, pushing the timeline back to Fall 2015! That would mean that I would be without a job for almost a year! Waitressing??

I have an interview today with a charter school. Wish me luck! I could really use something good to happen with this area of life…not sure if I can make a decision on what path would get me into teaching quicker?

Protected: A Year and some months later….

This post is password protected. To view it please enter your password below:

Password:

Smiles in bullet points

My baby boy amazing me sometimes.

• He is learning so fast and so quick. With learning Spanish and English I thought he would be a tad behind because of having to distinguish between the languages but he is really doing great and knows who to speak Spanish to and who in English. His nanny GG always tells me that he knows to speak to her in Spanish whereas with me he really only uses a few choice words in Spanish. 
• The other day he was asking what certain words said on a piece of fabric (had different animals sounds repeated on it) and then he without asking me, matched it with the same word on a different spot of the fabric. I’m not sure if you can count this as reading but I was certainly impressed. 
• I got him one of those bikes without pedals so he can practice riding with the assurance of his own feet holding him up. He seems to like it and will ride it for a little while. I think once he realizes he has control over it he is going to be gone like the wind….now to get him to wear his helmet!
• He sat through Cars 2 last week. First movie I have ever seen him sit through. Now he asks for “Mader” constantly, lol. Good thing that movie is funny, otherwise I’d go nuts. But hey, it’s a welcome break from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.
• Miss H also showed him how to ride a toy quad and he did it! After 7 months of having his, he finally got on one! He hasn’t since but I think this “older sister” thing is going to work out! He will try anything if she shows him first….should probably keep an eye on those two growing up lol.
• Then on Valentine’s Day I walk into the house, he’s dressed in a red shirt with a black vest, holding a toy rose that light’s up and smiles and runs to me saying “Happy valentine’s Mommy” – Melt my heart.
  

  

2013 Valen-buggy Day

…or week, or weeks if you feel like going overboard. Which I did and he did, yay!

I had decided to once and for all put to rest who loves who more and out do him for V-Day. 14 days of love. Each day I planned on giving him something or doing something nice for him. I did end up missing a couple days cause life happened but for the most part I think it went over well.

A few of the things I did were leaving notes or cards, gave him some of his favorite snacks (Wasabi and soy almonds, Kit Kat), planned a very romantical picnic date (complete with old quilt blanket, vintage picnic basket, wine, and a sunset), a bottle of his favorite whiskey, personalized coffee mugs, framed pictures of each member of our family, donuts on Sunday morning, and then finally over decorating his house for valentine’s with personalized notes of promises I will keep to him.

I know he said it was too much but I don’t ever want to to stop showing him how much I care and how much I love him. I enjoyed every second of making him happy probably more than he enjoyed getting it.

He also surprised me by giving me a bouquet of roses at work with a super sappy card. Then another bouquet at home later that evening. PLUS a trip to a cabin in a couple weeks for some buggy time and he scheduled us to take couple pictures in a few weeks too with lovely photographer Traci Sewell. I am so excited! I went out the next day to look for outfits (Thanks T and A for helping me shop!)

I think our debate on who loves who more will have to be settled another day….it was a great Valen-buggy day!