little ruminations

It’s raining. I love the rain. Some of my favorite things have to do with rain. Such as:

1. Singing in the Rain- the movie and the actual event

2. Sunday Morning by Maroon 5- classic reminder of high school when my best friend Malorie and I would drive around with the windows down and singing at the top of our lungs

3. Noah’s Arc- when I was a child, I used to wonder if it would ever rain long enough for the earth to flood again. I had my stuffed animals lined up in pairs just in case. It wasn’t until later that I understood that the flood was only the precursor of baptism and the reminder that through water and Spirit we are cleansed. 

4. Reading- Probably one of my all time favorite pastimes. When accompanied by rain, comfy pajamas and my bed (which if you need reminding how awesome it is, read my previous post) it can rival some of my best vacations. 

5. Home- I am a proud homebody, and when it rains there is almost nowhere else I would rather be than at home, snuggling on the coach with a blanket and watching a movie. Plus, the added benefit that rain is a great decision maker. For example:
 ”I need some groceries- should I attempt to go out?”- Nah, it’s raining! This means I have to be creative for dinner and try some new things.
” I really need to change my oil- should I go to the auto shop?”- Nah, it’s raining! It can wait until tomorrow. 
” I need to return that DVD.”- Oh look, it’s raining! Guess I need to buy Netflix (which is the true story of how my beloved relationship with Netflix started).

So the blessed even-numbered year has finally come! Is it just me, or are even years just the best? I admit I’m partial to the evens given that I am 1986 baby, but hey, I think I’m correct because the Olympics and Presidential elections both agree with me (or at least that is what my inner dialogue tells me).

2012 for me started out like a lamb. It couldn’t have been anymore “lamb-ish” in behavior as I had to set my alarm in order to wake up so I could watch the ball drop. Sad really, but I spent the day before ringing in the the pre-new year’s eve with great friends, so I was all new’s years out. That, and the fact that I have the most awesome bed in the world and by merely looking at it, it will induce an almost comatose state of being. 

Side note- I will be upfront. There are two things in this world that I am obsessed with. The first, which will be discussed at a later date, is my addiction to Amazon.com. The second is my bed. The later, is a well known fact to my friends. Sad confession- I love my bed so much, that at the mere mention of bedtime, I get so excited that often it takes several minutes for me to calm down and actually sleep. 

My bed beckons to me the moment I enter my room. On top of the pillow-top mattress, I purchased(by way of my first obsession- amazon.com) a dual layer 4-inch topper: 2 inches of down alternative and 2 inches of memory foam. In a nutshell, this = best sleep ever. Combine that with my 1000 thread count Egyptian cotton sheets, and it now = heaven. My bed makes me sound like a snob, but truly it’s really the only thing I splurge on. Sleep is important, and sleep to a middle school teacher is VERY important.

Anywho, back to 2012. And with every new year comes those little things that shall not be named- like Lord Voldermort. So here goes…

#1. Blog more- I really want to make an effort to blog at least once a week. I think it would be amazing to look back at the end of the year of all the things i’ve done.

#2. Try new things- I would love to try things I’ve never done before. I don’t have any specifics, but I just want to start by acquiring the phrase “sure, I’ll try that” into my 2012 vocabulary.

#3. Travel- I have a East Coast trip planned for this summer, so I want to experience and see things I never have before. Who knows, start with the East coast and we shall see where I end up.

#4. MK Designs- My wonderful friend Amy is amazing at a bunch of stuff. Besides being a great friends she also has a great mind for creativity and is helping me design things to start selling some of my jewelry that I have been making as a hobby. I will post about this later, but I hope that this adventure works out. 

Ok that is enough “shall not be named” for me. 4 is an even number after all, and I think I’ll stick with the theme. I must bid adieu though, because I just entered my room and my bed is calling my name, and you now know where that leads…

Yup, that’s right it’s week 4 of teaching! I cannot believe it. Time has flown by so quickly. And, just to be clear, in this short amount of time, I’ve already established I’m like the worst grader in the history of graders. My kids and their parents are going to be super mad at me if I don’t put these grades in the grade book. 

Anywho, I’ve decided to steal an idea from a friend and have a resolution for each month, so starting here at the beginning of September, I am making a vow to write in my journal more and to update my tumblr more. So far so good. 

Right now, I feel like there is a lot to say/write, but on the flip side there also isn’t a lot to say/write. Not making sense? Which is why everything is one big jumble in my head, so considering that, and the fact that it is 11:36pm and I have to get up at 5:00am, I might want to call it a night and give it a try tomorrow. 

Which is exactly what I am about to do.

Adieu! 

as i am writing, i am getting more and more depressed. tomorrow my summer ends and i have to go back to work.  what a summer bummer. flip side (and yes, there is always a flip side) #1-i have a job(thank you JESUS!) #2 It’s my dream teaching job-one that I am actually excited/nervous about. i will be teaching my favorite grade and subject (6th/ss/la) at a really great school. news that is equally as cool, it right down the street from some of my favorite people so i will spending more time with them. super duper excited. but for now, as my summer comes to a close, my mind drifts towards the future and i reflect on the upcoming school year- all the trials it entails and the all the joys and surprises it contains- and i know that “if Christ lead me to it, He will lead me through it.”

well, enough of depressing talk. yesterday was an extremely busy day. i went to my classroom to see it for the first time and i was a tad bit shocked- my school is an incredible school and has won many awards- its visually beautiful, its clean- overall very nice. however, upon entering my classroom, there were a few things that stuck out to me-

 #1- I have a chalkboard -ok, hello people, this is the 21st century- who in the heckamazoo still uses chalk boards? exactly- no one. also, i am allergic to chalk so i had to make a special request for a white board. my principle is awesome and i totally love her, so she said she would see what she can do. 

#2- I have no projector- again, I get it, not everyone uses technology like i do (and if I have yet to confess it, i do so here now- My name is Katie and I am addicted to using technology. there, i did it. acceptance is the first step right?) but come on, peeps, get with the program. kids use technology all the time. you have to teach in order to reach- that means use some freaking tech…ok, getting off my soapbox now…

#3- my classroom is awkwardly shaped and the chairs are attached to the desk so I can’t do groupings, and they take up the whole classroom. again, bummed.

#4- upside- I have a lovely view of the courtyard and outdoor garden. I have two windows which gives my class nice bright light, i have nice new tile floors, i have counter space to put stuff, and i am grateful that i have a job. no matter how much i may complain(i know, i know- i’m workin on it), I realize how truly blessed i am, and i will not take it for granted. Teaching after all is about kids, not classrooms.

thank you jesus for my job.

Another reason to be thankful, K-dub came to help me in my classroom and then we did some exploring and some surprising. our dear friend duncan( of “Amy and Duncan” or “Duncan and Amy”- doesnt really matter because the two are about to become one next year- sacramentally speaking) graduated yesterday from SPSU, so we got him some BBBC-some beer, some brownies, some balloons, and a card as a surprise. Congrats Dunc-e!

yesterday, I also met with my dear friend from high school, brittany, and we spent one of most random and oddly entertaining nights out i’ve had. our first trip was to Home Depot because her dog chewed the door frame and she has to fix it. We matched paint, got some wood putty, for a putty knife, thought about buying some wood, and then left. After that we went to QT for some 59 cent drinks and some scratch offs (stupid scratch offs). then we traveled to Five Spot frozen yogurt- a place that I  will be returning too. overall it was a completely busy day, but totally rewarding.