**.. Day 9 ..**

My parents came home today.  

The tests are complete.  

Now we patiently wait results.  

I am not sure when those will be coming but they should be here soon.  

Thanks to everyone for all of the prayers and nice things said.  

We really appreciate it.  

I will post more when I know what's going on.

I taught today from 12-3.

Then I worked from 4-10.  

I am home now watching The Jersey Shore with Jason.  

So tired.  

Jack has a game in the morning.

Championship game.

Hopefully they win!

**.. Day 5 (Valentine's Day) ..**

Today is Saint Valentine's Day, I have never been a big fan but I don't really know why.  I think I was afraid to buy into the whole Hallmark Holiday thing, which I do think is crazy.  However I think it's a nice time to do something that people normally don't make time for, even if it's just dinner.   

I had to teach today, my last Monday (wahoo).  My first class was the start to my bad day and it just went downhill from there.  Some students think that they are entitled to everything it makes me sick.  I taught until 2 then came home and got my book bag and got to class at 3.  

This weekend Jason heard that there was a man hiding in the entrance of our apartment buildings and pistol whipping people as they walked in, taking their keys, breaking into their apartment and robbing them.  Needless to say I do not want to live here anymore but we still have 6 months on our lease.  I call Jason when I get home and he comes out to walk me in.  When he isn't here I am going to call the apartment security and have them walk me in and I carry mace but I'd really prefer to not have to use it!  

I finally got out of class at 6 and was hoping that Jason was going to surprise me with dinner reservations or a date of some sort.  Not so much.  I got home and he was laying on the couch studying.  I had a horrible day and was looking forward to a nice night out and nothing was planned.  I went to take a shower and just started crying.  I am just worn out.  School is intense, teaching is tough, work is work and not knowing much about my dad is frustrating.  

When I got out I put on sweats and he told me to get ready.  I told him that if we didn't have reservations we wouldn't be able to get into most places and the wait in the rest would be crazy.  He didn't believe me, so he called 6 or 7 restaurants before giving up.  We ordered Chinese in.  It wasn't great but it worked.  

He did send me flowers to the school I teach at on Friday which was very nice.  

I got cards for my brother, sister, mom and dad, my grandma, Jason's mom and dad, his grandma and his sister and brother in law.  I had pictures from the holidays that I sent with them as well.    

His mom and sister called today to say thanks.  

If I am good at one thing it is sending out holiday cards and thank you notes.

Dad had one test today but I am not supposed to say anything yet.  He still has multiple doctors to meet with.  Still praying!

Hope you all had a great Valentine's Day!

:)

**.. friday ..**

Today I taught gym for grades k-5.  The kids were all hyped up and going crazy.  Very frustrating for me especially because I almost called in sick today.  I woke up with a sore throat a couple days ago and it won't go away.  But I went.  The older kids played basketball and red light green light for the younger kids.  Finally at 2:50 I was done!

I took Hannah home then Jack and I went home and got the 4-wheeler.  We rode down to the gas station about 1 mile away.  Oh yes we do live in Indiana and it is 9 degrees with the wind chill it felt like negative 5.  We had fun though.

Now I'm sitting at home contmeplating going to see 'No Strings Attached' with Jason.  A couple of my girlfriends asked me to go out tonight, I think I might!

** .. a little help .. **

Today Jason went to teach gym with me!  He helped the kids strategize and he would be on a team that needed an extra player.  It was so sweet and pretty cute to  watch.  We had lunch with my brother and my sister came in too for a little bit.  She went back to school this afternoon :(  At the end of the day the principal asked to talk to me and said that if I was going to bring anyone in that they needed to have a criminal background check beforehand.  I apologized.  I didn't realize until last night that he would be helping me because he didn't have to work for MLK day.  I understand her concern however the secretary is the bartneder at a local pub and she knows Jason.  She saw him walk in and it shouldn't have been an issue.  It's not like I am bringing in random crazies.

After school we took Hannah home then took Jack to my parents.  They are on this 17 day diet so we had perch for dinner.  I've never had it, but didn't really care for it.  We also had salad, asparagus and those of us not on the diet had red potatoes.

Then we went to see 'The Dilemma'.  It was pretty good.  I really like Kevin James and Vince Vaugn (? :/).  I won't spoil it for you.

I am getting ready to go out to dinner with my girl friends now.  I'll post tomorrow on how that goes.  I haven't been out in a while!  I'm excited to go!

**.. LISTEN .. **

Today I taught gym for grades k-5.  It was exhausting.  Since I am so young I know most of these kids pretty well.  I think they feel like they don't have to listen to me because they see me as an older sister, instead of a teacher.  Which does not work to my advantage.  I blow the wistle and they just keep talking and rambling on.  Then each kid asks me what we are doing because no one can hear.  It's ridiculous.

I can give out 'negative minus points' or detentions, but I don't want to.  I want gym to be fun and I want everyone to like me.  BUT I need to be respected and I shouldn't have to yell so much.  Should I start using they punishments to get that respect I deserve?!  I hate to harp on this point but it is important, I volunteer to teach gym here.  They can not afford a gym teacher so I put up with all of this stuff out of the kindness of my heart!  Which only makes it more difficult, because I don't even get paid to deal with this crap!

** .. 13 hour work day .. **

Well today I went back to teaching gym.  My first class was 2nd and 3rd grades, I thoguht that it was best to begin with going over the rules and it was.  They still didn't listen, shocking.  Then I had 6th grade, same thing different time.  For lunch we had chicken tenders, french fries, mixed vegetables, appricots, applesauce and chocolate milk .. yummmm!  (I am a sucker for school lunch!)  Then my dad and my sister came up to help me out with a basketball tournament for 7th and 8th grade, my sister reffed and my dad kept score, it was nice to have help!  One kid asked me why I was so much nicer when my dad and sister were there, I responded with, "because you actually listen when other people are here."  I am NOT even mean to these kids and I certainly don't make enough (aka nothing) to deal with their crap!  But I won't lie it really hurt my feelings to hear that, I feel like I do a really good job.  Especially for having no experience with teaching.  Next up was 4th and 5th grades and then I finished the day by teaching Kindergarten and 1st grades.

Ran to my parents house, dropped my brother off, talked to my family for about 20 minutes, got ready and went to bartend for the evening.  We weren't very busy.  I only made $50 in tips, but I do make $8 an hour so it was too bad.  Got out of there a little after 11 and just got home!

That concludes my 13 hour work day.  I BARELY made it home in time to blog for today but I am glad that I did!  I am really enjoying this for the 3rd day in a row!

** .. new years resolution .. **

I decided last night that one of my new year's resolutions for 2011 would be to blog more frequently.  Blogging for me is like a journal, where I write quite a bit at once then let it go for a while, then come back and write another big post to catch up, and no one likes that.  It's a pain to read and even to write.  Therefore I would like to better my blog and allow my readers to follow my journey through life one day at a time, instead of weeks or months at a time.  I am very excited and hope that I can manage to keep up with it!

Tonight I waited tables.  I made about $70, which isn't too bad for 5 1/2 hours of work.  All of my customers were polite, which helps a ton!

I have waited on this particular group of 6 since I began working here, about 6 or 7 years ago, nearly every Sunday night.  It is 2 couples and 2 other ladies, all of the 4 ladies are sisters and the one couple Moe and Marlene were close friends to my Granda Jim and Grandma Ruth.  Anyway, tonight 5 of them came in, minus one husband and I asked where he was?  They looked at me and looked down, finally Moe said that he had passed away.  (I have been on vacation and had family Christmas's the past few Sundays so I haven't been around recently, I obviously hadn't heard).  I felt horrible and the wife looked like she was going to cry and I apologized.  I have never felt so bad in my life.  They could not have been any better about it though and I am extremely grateful!

Other than that it was a great night, I brought home chicken gizzards and wings to share with my brother.  Everyone else was in bed, they went gambling today!  I am staying at parents house tonight because I go back to my gym teaching tomorrow.  Hopefully the kids aren't too crazy from Christmas Break!

.. year at a glance ..

here is a review of my year .. it's not all there but it's done ! 

i got my sister to drink with me ! 

i got my wisdom teeth out ! 

I started cutting up fruits and veggies the day i got them .. instead of letting them rot ! 

we went to clearwater beach florida for spring break ! 

alexandria graduated from high school .. it was insanely hot ! 

we went to the indy 500 ! 

we went to jason's parents house for a week and his mom took me to a blueberry farm .

i turned 22 !

me and kirstie out for my birthday .

i made a video slideshow for my parents 25th anniversary .

we went snowboarding in oregon .

we put up a christmas tree ! 

i started teaching gym ! 

we took pictures for our parents for their anniversary .

some of these are out of order .. it wouldnt let me switch them around .. but it's all here .

happy new year ! 

** teaching gym **

As some of you know, this year my brother's grade school could not afford a gym teacher. I went in and volunteered to be the teacher for grades k-8. I have never taught gym before nor have I taken any classes to do so.  As a volunteer they weren't complaining.  I get a free lunch and I get to spend time with my brother and about 10 cousins.  I enjoy my time there for the most part.  I do struggle with getting the kids to pay attention to me though.  I still haven't figured it out completely, but it seems to be getting better with time.  I knew so many of these kids before I started teaching that I think they thought I was more of a friend than a teacher.  I do want them to know that I am there for them, but I can't be walked all over.

In October I kept 4 kids (3rd graders) after class to discuss there inappropriate behavior.  They didn't participate like they should in regular activities.  Two of them were singing and not participating in yoga.  Which I had chose to end gym classes with, I had a teacher ask me to do so.  Because she knows that is what I want to do with my life and it will calm the kids down to go back to class, instead of them being all riled up.  The kids that I kept were late back to class, the teacher asked them why and she sent them to the office.  The principal came down and talked to me and informed me that they would all be getting detentions.

Well my family is close to 3 of the kids' families and one of them is my boss's daughter.  I was scared of how they would all respond.  My boss's wife has barely acknowledged me at all since then.  Another parent came in and complained that yoga is a form of Hinduism and he didn't want his child participating in it.  I had NEVER taught the religous aspect of yoga and never intended to do so.  The principal informed me and said that the parent had brought in a list of other 'stretches' I could use that were not yoga.  Well she is a yogi herself and she told me over 3/4 of them were yoga poses.  She suggested I continue on and just not call it yoga.  For a while I completely cut it out of my lesson plan, I was pissed off.

I am almost positive of who it was and this person has been close to my family for years.  It does not surprise me at all, but it really hurt my feelings.  I asked the principal if I could print off the benefits of yoga for kids and send them home with the kids and she suggested I just drop it.  Which I did and I did bring 'streching' back into gym class.  It still upsets me though. What kind of person comes in to a school to complain about a volunteer?

In November I started tournaments for 2nd and 3rd grades, 4th and 5th grades, 6th grade, and 7th and 8th grades.  I wrote everyone's names down and drew them randomly.  The older kids have really enjoyed the basketball season, we will have a tournament after each team play each other once.  I mostly just let the Kindergartners and 1st graders run around and try to shoot the ball and dribble as much as possible.  They seem to enjoy it and it's pretty easy for me :)