The year has begun.

So most bloggers write a really self-reflective post on January 1st or shortly after thinking through what the previous year has brought, and what they would like to see come out of the new year. Welp, we are already halfway through January (like 1/24 through the whole year actually!) and I still haven’t produced one of those posts. But I should probably try. Here’s a break-down of 2012…

January- Began student teaching in 3rd grade and moved back in with my parents.

February- Learned about the chaos that is Valentine’s Day in an elementary school setting.

March- Started my second student teaching placement in 9-12 ESL

April- Applied for a gazillion jobs! Played the waiting game.

May- Graduated! Got a job! Found out I was moving to another state!

June- Started teaching summer school (3rd grade & K-1st drama).

July- Went to every garage sale in town. Did the Color Run! Went to the farmer’s market every week.

August- Started teaching a new grade level (Kdg) in a new state (CO). Met all new people. Made new friends.

September- Went Colorado camping for the first time ever! Hiking, too.

October- Turned 23. Had my first parent-teacher conferences. Learned how to party it up Halloween-style in Kindergarten.

November- Deepened my new friendships. Tried new things.

December: Went Colorado skiing for the first time ever!

 

It’s funny the things that stick out to me as I sit here typing this. I feel like these were the “big” things in my life this past year, but really? A lot of times it’s the small things that are bigger. So while I may have summed it up with a couple of grander events, a lot of the in-between things helped make 2012. Things I like to record on this blog, whenever that is.

I still hold to my (un)resolution of a few years ago, here. I can’t say I’ve excelled, but the least I can do is renew my resolve. To seek God more and ask him the hard questions.

And soon enough I’ll be back to feeling the pressures of new year’s/determination/resolutions/reflections, to post again while looking back. I just hope I do that oftener than January 1st. Here’s to 2013!

Weekend.

Last weekend I had one of the most enjoyable weekends I’ve had since moving to Colorado. Seriously, almost everything about it was perfect. That is rare! No school work involved whatsoever. Friday night I hung out with a group of friends and played board games and ate food. It was so good getting to know more new people! Games are just about the perfect activity because they require talking and are fun…I’m not so much of a movie watcher (I think I have movie/tv ADD), but I’ll play games anytime.

Saturday morning I slept in and didn’t wake up to an alarm! It was glorious. I cleaned my apartment which is pretty therapeutic, at least for me. Then I got in my car and just drove and stopped wherever looked interesting. I found so many good sales. I had fun shopping for prizes for my Kindergarten treasure chest, including awesome stuff like fake moustaches and  glasses and glow-in-the-dark aliens. The only downside to the afternoon was that I found out my car is leaking antifreeze/coolant, so I was “stranded” at the mall (how awful, right?) while I waited for my car to cool so I could check things out. I ended the evening at some friends’ where they found my radiator leak and calmed my worries. We partied it up with a little Fruit Ninja on the tv and I woke up with ridiculously sore arms the next morning. :)

If you don’t really care to read about my weekend events step-by-step, you just go ahead and close the page now, peeps. I want to record it, sort of like a journal, so I can look back and remember the wonderfulness. It was so good!

Sunday my roommate and I went to breakfast at a cute little cafe with another friend and then on to church. I asked around to see if anyone wanted to go skating with me that afternoon, but I had no takers. I guess people aren’t as passionate about it as I am. ;) So I just went down the road about a mile, where all the Olympians in this city train, and checked out the public skate session. It was one of the most fun and relaxing practice sessions I have ever had, not even kidding! It was cheap and not crowded; there were people of all ages and levels there, also. Back in Omaha I always felt judged when I would practice because I’m kind of old to be learning new things along with the little bitty kids. But here there were old grandpas learning three-turns along with the toddlers and everyone in between. I forgot how much I missed skating. I am certain that an old dog can indeed learn new tricks…so I have decided I am going to start taking lessons again! I am way beyond excited. :)

I wrapped up the weekend with homemade tacos at another friend’s house, probably the best tacos I’ve ever eaten. This weekend was such a blessing. It’s amazing how God knows exactly what you’re needing and delivers. He can dish up a weekend full of sweetness better than I could, or anyone else.

Living life.

I’ve realized lately that I’m really bad at watching TV. And talking on the phone.

I think I my attention span is shortening. It could have to do with the fact that usually I try doing these things after a full day of wrangling 5-year-olds, but I think there’s more to it. My personal theory: modern technology has shortened the length of time I can focus on one thing. I’m naturally a multi-tasker, but with my smartphone I can be texting, uploading photos to instagram, playing Words with Friends, checking the weather, and more all at once. I think my brain is used to being over-stimulated, or something. When I can’t see a person’s face while talking on the phone, I have a hard time focusing on only what they are saying. I try to do so many other things because I feel like I’m not being productive, and then I end up with a lot of “uh-huh”, “mmhmm”, and the like. The same goes with watching TV- I feel like I have to be doing something else while I’m watching it that I don’t really pay attention. I guess that’s not as horrible, though, because no one’s feelings could get hurt. Just some thoughts.

Here is a snapshot of my life, currently.

On any given day at work, you will find me with:

* some color of ink on my hands

* at least 5 pieces of gum in my pocket for my kiddo who constantly needs to chew

* at least 2 paper cuts

* enough hair bands, head bands, hair clips, and jewelry on my desk to open an accessory shop (all confiscated from fidgety kids)

* Songs like this or this stuck in my head

At home, you will find:

* a mountainous pile of clothes on my floor. Why do I even have a dresser?? I should be cleaning that instead of posting this, probably.

* me listening to Sia. Her music is like crack. There hasn’t been a day the past week that I haven’t listened to her…seriously addicted. Why has no one told me about her before?! She is weird and beyond wonderful.

* dessert. Always. Once the chocolate cake was gone, there was peach crisp, and then root beer floats and brownies, and now chocolate chip cookies. My roommate and I clearly have our priorities straight.

* a pile of poop on the sidewalk near our door. We thought it was bear poop, because it definitely didn’t look like it was from a cat or dog…and a week later it’s still there. Lovely.

* a pumpkin, ready for carving this weekend! It was strange going to a pumpkin patch other than Vala’s, but fun nonetheless. I know Vala’s doesn’t have that view in the background!

Enjoying.

Right now, I'm really tired.

My second week of teaching summer school is in the books, and I am ready for bed. It's only 6:30.

I took a short little snooze while sitting upright on the couch about an hour ago. Pathetic, right? This lack of energy makes me so much more thankful for the 3-day-weekends we get this summer. The kids need a break and I think I do, too.

Life is just so full right now. It usually is. But there are so many things to do, to think about, to plan for, that mind seems stretched in every direction. There's the internet bill, which was a surprising $177- it took me about 2 weeks and at least a handful of phone calls to finally get it fixed. They corrected it: only $13.29. I'd say it was definitely worth the effort to get it changed! Or then there's my out-of-state teaching license, which will cost me roughly $230 by the time I'm finished with everything. You'd think that $110 test I took last February would count for something, right? Right, Colorado? But just like Chuck Testa says...NOPE. So tomorrow I've gotta take an almost-identical-but-differently-coded test for another $110. No big deal. I just graduated from college. I've got bags of money lying around!

But really, besides me and my bank account being exhausted, life is really good. I got to see my family last weekend. That makes for some good times, especially when we go out to eat. It's always an adventure, that's for sure. I can say before last Saturday never in my life had I given my phone number to a random waiter at Texas Roadhouse...

And although I deposited my first ever all-grown-up bills in the mail WITHOUT stamps, it really was a beautiful 2.5-mile walk to the post office. Who cares if the bills will come right back to me? At least I get mail, right?! I got to enjoy the lazy atmosphere of summer. Walking through sprinklers rather than avoiding them, hollyhocks growing taller than the chipping window panes they stand in front of, an old guy dozing on his front porch, bras hanging on the line, gardens showing their promise, trampolines, hammocks, and bicycles strewn across the lawn. Taking time to enjoy right where I'm at.

P.S.- These pictures are from the last couple of weeks. I’m gonna try to take a picture (or two) a day this week as a challenge. We’ll see what I come up with!