Confessions (a la Anne)

My friend Anne used her facebook a few weeks ago to get a few confessions off her chest, and I thought I would share a few of mine.

1. I am HORRIBLE at compound words.  I have to look up everytime every time... every time I use it.  Other ones I hate are: eachother, everyother,  anyone - I always think that is two words, sometime- two words again, and someday.  

2. I am a math teacher, but I always forget where the dashes go in written out numbers.  For example, twenty-one. So when I teach that lesson, I have to review it well for myself too!  I'm sure after a year or two of consistent teaching I'll have it down, but it's just not something you use very often, eh?  Writing checks gives me heartburn sometimes!

3. I'm reading the Harry Potter series...again. I have read it all the way through once, and then the first and the last books both at least twice.  Luckily, I loaned my collection to Cici so I have to wait to read the fourth one until she is finished.  I have a lot of books on my 30 before 30 list, so I need to get crackalackin.  I found some more educational books that I want to read so I also need to purchase those!

4. I hate American Idol.  I'm sorry friends and family that love this show, but I think I have watched it twice (not all the way through) in my life.  I'm very glad for the people who love it, I just can't do it.  I like some of the artists who have come through the show like Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Elliot Yamin (I went through a moment of that because I didn't understand how that voice came from that kid) and Phillip Phillips which is the awesomest name ever.

5. I also hate ironing.  I have 3 shirts in my closet that need to be ironed and have just been sitting there waiting to be ironed for, um, sixth months...and that's being kind to myself.  If my grandmother read this, she would make fun of me for weeks.  It also helps that I'm not working (as a professional) so I don't need blousey type shirts very often.

6. I listen to no less than 6 podcasts a day.

7. I'm watching the 90210 series on the CW.  Liam is in some serious trouble, and I canNOT believe that Naomi kissed that dude.  Wow, it felt good to get that one off my chest.  

more later!

Bittersweet day.

Today is the day that tons of my friends sent their kiddos off to school and many of my friends are starting back to work as teachers and administrators. I have been nervous about this day for the past few weeks.

The bitter: I left my career in PR after just a few short years to go back to graduate school.  It was a great decision because I knew that education was where I wanted to be, however, I never thought that I would struggle so much to find a job!  After I was most of the way through the program I started looking for a job, in the mean time I had a great part-time job at a church, but needed full-time employment at a school.  After 2 years of calls/campus drop-bys/ resumes/interviews/networking I finally found a position in November of 2010 in Irving.  I loved that job so much (I got it through the stimulus money BTW...)  However, I found out after the year was over that my teaching certificate didn't go "standard" after a partial year teaching.  (It's complicated, but I'm still not a fully certified teacher!)  So anyway, I got preggo and would have been laid off anyway, so I stepped down and we moved to Austin.  I only got to teach for 7 months!  And when I got back I have to explain my whole story about why I have taught for a year, but I'm still on a probationary cert.  Boo.

The SWEET (and it is very sweet): I have my little man!  He brightens my days everyday and is just the biggest light in my life.  Being a mom has been so rewarding and I get to see the fruits of my labor every day when Kai smiles, laughs, stuffs his face with yogurt puffs, learns something, or gives me a sweet baby hug. I also get to spend quality time with my hubby.  I know that I would be grading/creating after I get home from school, because teachers work so hard these days!  So now when Scott comes home, we get to have family time and then even relax or do projects around the house after the little dude goes to bed.  My being at home is a sweet time for our family.

Even though I'm taking some time to be home with and I get a little lonely or feel like I went to graduate school (at an expensive institution) for nothing... I try to remember that I have plenty of years to influence the brains of the youngsters of tomorrow in due time.  I could potentially teach for 30 years after I go back into the workforce!! That is a lot of years!  One step at a time.  Right now my steps are with my little boy.