Faith, Hope, and Love

So, it's been about 3 weeks since it actually aired, but I finally found the courage to watch the series finale of my latest favorite show, "Life Unexpected." It sadly, only lasted exactly a year long, premiering on January 18, 2010 and ending on January 18, 2011. But it definitely deserved a much longer run. It was the first show in a long time that I seriously grew attached to since "Gilmore Girls." And if any of you were a fan of "Gilmore Girls," you know how disappointing  that  finale was! I was very concerned that LUX (as it's affectionately abbreviated to, and which also happens to be the name of the central character) was going to be just as disappointing for me. So, I DVR'd it and put off watching it. I used the excuse of being busy with other things. But really, I was just scared. I loved  this show. It made me watch the CW again, something I stopped doing after "Gilmore Girls." And in general, the only shows I ever watc...

Lately, I've been reading books for their lack of depth. Generally it's been all fluff and silliness, because it's what I have time for. If you know me well, you know that I tend to really get into books when I read. Once I threw my copy of John Grisham's "The Firm" across the room out of nervousness. And if the book is good enough, I can stay up until all hours of the night until I'm done with it. Well, with student teaching, work, and just life in general, it's been easier to indulge in stuff like chick-lit and Christian romances. I've had no time to have my emotions stirred too deeply while reading. Not that the books I've read haven't been good. I've enjoyed all of them, and would recommend most of them. But this morning, since school was still cancelled because of all the ice and snow, I sat down to read one of the Texas Bluebonnet Award books. The kids had to vote on their favorite last week, and a few of the books' descri...

I've been asked to blog for two other sites! How exciting is that?! I mean, I've always liked to write, and deep down inside I know I'm a good one. But I'll be honest, I'm plagued with A LOT of insecurity when it comes to the words I put on paper (or online, whatever). I've had friends read my stuff and go, "Wow, that was really good!" and I feel a moment of glee. But then I think, "Well, you know  me. You're my friend. Of course you wouldn't tell me I sucked!" And instantly, I'm refilled with self-doubt about my skills. This year, I had already decided to face my fear and write more . It's why I decided to apply for MFA programs--to stop being scared and finally pursue the career route I've always dreamed I'd take. It's kind of why I decided to start this blog--to force myself to write more often and just put myself out there. Keeping this blog hasn't been easy. There are points when I ask myself why I...

I taught my first lesson today! And I was soooo nervous! My voice sounded silly in my ears. I felt like I was talking way too fast (although I guess that's not uncommon for me). But I think the kids actually learned something. We were working on the long 'a' sound. Later this week, we'll focus on the long 'e' and 'i' sounds. It sounds pretty elementary, but it might mean that a few of these kids might actually "crack the code" and be able to read and write English more fluently (my kids are all bilingual). I think that's probably been the most exciting thing about student teaching so far--I feel like these are all kids that really need me. They need me to give them that extra push, help them break through the language barrier that keeps a lot of them from succeeding, help them know that they can do it! They already have a great teacher, and she's worked really hard to get them to where they are now. But there's still a lot o...

Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. In honor of the day, I decided to spend the last week reading "The Diary of a Young Girl," by Anne Frank. While a lot of kids tend to read this book in school, I never had to--although I've read lots of books that reference the book, and I obviously know the general story behind it. It's been an interesting read--she's a funny, cheeky 14/15 year old. One of my co-workers thinks I could read a much more in-depth book about the Holocaust--one that sheds light on how things were in the concentration camps, etc. Last year I read Jane Yolen's "The Devil's Arithmetic," which is a children's book as well, but does shed some serious light on the reality of the horrors many Jews faced. Maybe one day I will read much deeper, but right now my thoughts are focused on the aftermath of it all. There's a saying that goes something like, "Always remember" or "We must never forget." Whatever it...

Whatever I had this past Thursday didn't kill me! Most of the horror passed by Friday afternoon ( yes, I took a sick day ), and by Sunday I felt about 90% well. Now I'm just tired... I have like five schedules I'm trying to juggle and keep from colliding into each other and overwhelming me. There's the student teaching, there's the school itself, there's church stuff, there's tutoring, and then there's the I-just-want-to-have-fun stuff. So far, so good... but it definitely makes for some long days. And then  two  opportunities to make some money were presented to me... and can I do them? Nope! (Well, definitely not one of them because of student teaching, and I could maybe do the other one... but it'd be another schedule to juggle with the rest!) Mostly I think I'm tired and overwhelmed because I've been a bum for the last six months and I'm not used to working eight-hour days anymore. Nor have I had to wake up by 6 a.m. since li...

That's probably a question I should have asked during orientation. Because if the chills, headache, fever, and aches and pain I'm experiencing are indication, I just got hit majorly with the flu. I blame it on two things: trying to be green and walking to school two days in a row (I think I'll wait till Spring officially hits before I do that again) and the horrible parking at my apartment (which often requires I walk a block or so if I happen to make it home after 9 p.m... which is often). When I started sneezing yesterday, I didn't attribute it to much. But then my sinuses and head started hurting, so I figured allergies (although I've NEVER had allergies, but you can develop them later in life. So I figured why not?). I took some sinus and cold stuff last night and this morning and they cleared me up briefly and then mid-day... it hit. All the lil' 4th graders kept staring at me in pity. Because if I looked anywhere close to how I felt then it was PATHE...