My life as an aspiring teacher currently in school in love with a baseball player who will start his career in February and be away for 7+ months.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Zumba


ZumbaSESSED AKA obsessed with Zumba.


I thought it was a bad purchase by my boyfriend Greg, but I was wrong. It's pretty awesome - and the fastest 20 minute workout I have experienced. Today was nice and relaxing with Zumba, experimenting with assessments, and running errands.Oh yeah and made some more pretzels today [YUM].

 Tomorrow on the other hand will be non stop from 8:45-8:30: Work-Internship-Group Project-Class


Friday, January 21, 2011

Truth.


  1. There is great need for a sarcasm font.
  2. Map quest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.
  3. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone so I know not to answer when they call.
  4. Sometimes I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it. 
  5. I would rather try to carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags in each hand than take 2 trips to bring my groceries in. 
  6. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to finish a text. 
  7. How many times is it appropriate to say "what?" before you just nod and smile because you still didn't hear or understand what they were saying.
  8. Sometimes I will look at a clock 3 different times and still not know what time it is.



Sounds like my boyfriend will report to spring training around March 5th. Time has gone by way too fast. 

Friday, January 14, 2011

If You Can.

If you can start the day without caffeine;
If you can get going without pep pills;
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains;
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles;
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it;
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any time;
If you can forgive a friend's lack of consideration;
If you can overlook it when those you love take it out on you when,
   through no fault of your own, something goes wrong;
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment;
If you can ignore a friend's limited education and never correct him;
If you can resist treating a rich friend better than a poor friend;
If you can face the world without lies and deceit;
If you can conquer tension without medical help;
If you can relax without liquor;
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs;
If you can honestly say that deep in your heart you have no prejudice
   against creed or color, religion or politics; then, my friend, you are
   almost as good as your dog


Thursday, January 13, 2011

Watch President Obama's Full Speech at Tucson Memorial


To the families of those we’ve lost; to all who called them friends; to the students of this university, the public servants gathered tonight, and the people of Tucson and Arizona: I have come here tonight as an American who, like all Americans, kneels to pray with you today, and will stand by you tomorrow.

There is nothing I can say that will fill the sudden hole torn in your hearts. But know this: the hopes of a nation are here tonight. We mourn with you for the fallen. We join you in your grief. And we add our faith to yours that Representative Gabrielle Giffords and the other living victims of this tragedy pull through.

As Scripture tells us:

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,

the holy place where the Most High dwells.

God is within her, she will not fall;

God will help her at break of day.

On Saturday morning, Gabby, her staff, and many of her constituents gathered outside a supermarket to exercise their right to peaceful assembly and free speech. They were fulfilling a central tenet of the democracy envisioned by our founders – representatives of the people answering to their constituents, so as to carry their concerns to our nation’s capital. Gabby called it “Congress on Your Corner” – just an updated version of government of and by and for the people.

That is the quintessentially American scene that was shattered by a gunman’s bullets. And the six people who lost their lives on Saturday – they too represented what is best in America.

Judge John Roll served our legal system for nearly 40 years. A graduate of this university and its law school, Judge Roll was recommended for the federal bench by John McCain twenty years ago, appointed by President George H.W. Bush, and rose to become Arizona’s chief federal judge. His colleagues described him as the hardest-working judge within the Ninth Circuit. He was on his way back from attending Mass, as he did every day, when he decided to stop by and say hi to his Representative. John is survived by his loving wife, Maureen, his three sons, and his five grandchildren.

George and Dorothy Morris – “Dot” to her friends – were high school sweethearts who got married and had two daughters. They did everything together, traveling the open road in their RV, enjoying what their friends called a 50-year honeymoon. Saturday morning, they went by the Safeway to hear what their Congresswoman had to say. When gunfire rang out, George, a former Marine, instinctively tried to shield his wife. Both were shot. Dot passed away.

A New Jersey native, Phyllis Schneck retired to Tucson to beat the snow. But in the summer, she would return East, where her world revolved around her 3 children, 7 grandchildren, and 2 year-old great-granddaughter. A gifted quilter, she’d often work under her favorite tree, or sometimes sew aprons with the logos of the Jets and the Giants to give out at the church where she volunteered. A Republican, she took a liking to Gabby, and wanted to get to know her better.

Dorwan and Mavy Stoddard grew up in Tucson together – about seventy years ago. They moved apart and started their own respective families, but after both were widowed they found their way back here, to, as one of Mavy’s daughters put it, “be boyfriend and girlfriend again.” When they weren’t out on the road in their motor home, you could find them just up the road, helping folks in need at the Mountain Avenue Church of Christ. A retired construction worker, Dorwan spent his spare time fixing up the church along with their dog, Tux. His final act of selflessness was to dive on top of his wife, sacrificing his life for hers.

Everything Gabe Zimmerman did, he did with passion – but his true passion was people. As Gabby’s outreach director, he made the cares of thousands of her constituents his own, seeing to it that seniors got the Medicare benefits they had earned, that veterans got the medals and care they deserved, that government was working for ordinary folks. He died doing what he loved – talking with people and seeing how he could help. Gabe is survived by his parents, Ross and Emily, his brother, Ben, and his fiancĂ©e, Kelly, who he planned to marry next year.

And then there is nine year-old Christina Taylor Green. Christina was an A student, a dancer, a gymnast, and a swimmer. She often proclaimed that she wanted to be the first woman to play in the major leagues, and as the only girl on her Little League team, no one put it past her. She showed an appreciation for life uncommon for a girl her age, and would remind her mother, “We are so blessed. We have the best life.” And she’d pay those blessings back by participating in a charity that helped children who were less fortunate.

Our hearts are broken by their sudden passing. Our hearts are broken – and yet, our hearts also have reason for fullness.

Our hearts are full of hope and thanks for the 13 Americans who survived the shooting, including the congresswoman many of them went to see on Saturday. I have just come from the University Medical Center, just a mile from here, where our friend Gabby courageously fights to recover even as we speak. And I can tell you this – she knows we’re here and she knows we love her and she knows that we will be rooting for her throughout what will be a difficult journey.

And our hearts are full of gratitude for those who saved others. We are grateful for Daniel Hernandez, a volunteer in Gabby’s office who ran through the chaos to minister to his boss, tending to her wounds to keep her alive. We are grateful for the men who tackled the gunman as he stopped to reload. We are grateful for a petite 61 year-old, Patricia Maisch, who wrestled away the killer’s ammunition, undoubtedly saving some lives. And we are grateful for the doctors and nurses and emergency medics who worked wonders to heal those who’d been hurt.

These men and women remind us that heroism is found not only on the fields of battle. They remind us that heroism does not require special training or physical strength. Heroism is here, all around us, in the hearts of so many of our fellow citizens, just waiting to be summoned – as it was on Saturday morning.

Their actions, their selflessness, also pose a challenge to each of us. It raises the question of what, beyond the prayers and expressions of concern, is required of us going forward. How can we honor the fallen? How can we be true to their memory?

You see, when a tragedy like this strikes, it is part of our nature to demand explanations – to try to impose some order on the chaos, and make sense out of that which seems senseless. Already we’ve seen a national conversation commence, not only about the motivations behind these killings, but about everything from the merits of gun safety laws to the adequacy of our mental health systems. Much of this process, of debating what might be done to prevent such tragedies in the future, is an essential ingredient in our exercise of self-government.

But at a time when our discourse has become so sharply polarized – at a time when we are far too eager to lay the blame for all that ails the world at the feet of those who think differently than we do – it’s important for us to pause for a moment and make sure that we are talking with each other in a way that heals, not a way that wounds.

Scripture tells us that there is evil in the world, and that terrible things happen for reasons that defy human understanding. In the words of Job, “when I looked for light, then came darkness.” Bad things happen, and we must guard against simple explanations in the aftermath.

For the truth is that none of us can know exactly what triggered this vicious attack. None of us can know with any certainty what might have stopped those shots from being fired, or what thoughts lurked in the inner recesses of a violent man’s mind.

So yes, we must examine all the facts behind this tragedy. We cannot and will not be passive in the face of such violence. We should be willing to challenge old assumptions in order to lessen the prospects of violence in the future.

But what we can’t do is use this tragedy as one more occasion to turn on one another. As we discuss these issues, let each of us do so with a good dose of humility. Rather than pointing fingers or assigning blame, let us use this occasion to expand our moral imaginations, to listen to each other more carefully, to sharpen our instincts for empathy, and remind ourselves of all the ways our hopes and dreams are bound together.

After all, that’s what most of us do when we lose someone in our family – especially if the loss is unexpected. We’re shaken from our routines, and forced to look inward. We reflect on the past. Did we spend enough time with an aging parent, we wonder. Did we express our gratitude for all the sacrifices they made for us? Did we tell a spouse just how desperately we loved them, not just once in awhile but every single day?

So sudden loss causes us to look backward – but it also forces us to look forward, to reflect on the present and the future, on the manner in which we live our lives and nurture our relationships with those who are still with us. We may ask ourselves if we’ve shown enough kindness and generosity and compassion to the people in our lives. Perhaps we question whether we are doing right by our children, or our community, and whether our priorities are in order. We recognize our own mortality, and are reminded that in the fleeting time we have on this earth, what matters is not wealth, or status, or power, or fame – but rather, how well we have loved, and what small part we have played in bettering the lives of others.

That process of reflection, of making sure we align our values with our actions – that, I believe, is what a tragedy like this requires. For those who were harmed, those who were killed – they are part of our family, an American family 300 million strong. We may not have known them personally, but we surely see ourselves in them. In George and Dot, in Dorwan and Mavy, we sense the abiding love we have for our own husbands, our own wives, our own life partners. Phyllis – she’s our mom or grandma; Gabe our brother or son. In Judge Roll, we recognize not only a man who prized his family and doing his job well, but also a man who embodied America’s fidelity to the law. In Gabby, we see a reflection of our public spiritedness, that desire to participate in that sometimes frustrating, sometimes contentious, but always necessary and never-ending process to form a more perfect union.

And in Christina…in Christina we see all of our children. So curious, so trusting, so energetic and full of magic.

So deserving of our love.

And so deserving of our good example. If this tragedy prompts reflection and debate, as it should, let’s make sure it’s worthy of those we have lost. Let’s make sure it’s not on the usual plane of politics and point scoring and pettiness that drifts away with the next news cycle.

The loss of these wonderful people should make every one of us strive to be better in our private lives – to be better friends and neighbors, co-workers and parents. And if, as has been discussed in recent days, their deaths help usher in more civility in our public discourse, let’s remember that it is not because a simple lack of civility caused this tragedy, but rather because only a more civil and honest public discourse can help us face up to our challenges as a nation, in a way that would make them proud. It should be because we want to live up to the example of public servants like John Roll and Gabby Giffords, who knew first and foremost that we are all Americans, and that we can question each other’s ideas without questioning each other’s love of country, and that our task, working together, is to constantly widen the circle of our concern so that we bequeath the American dream to future generations.

I believe we can be better. Those who died here, those who saved lives here – they help me believe. We may not be able to stop all evil in the world, but I know that how we treat one another is entirely up to us. I believe that for all our imperfections, we are full of decency and goodness, and that the forces that divide us are not as strong as those that unite us.

That’s what I believe, in part because that’s what a child like Christina Taylor Green believed. Imagine: here was a young girl who was just becoming aware of our democracy; just beginning to understand the obligations of citizenship; just starting to glimpse the fact that someday she too might play a part in shaping her nation’s future. She had been elected to her student council; she saw public service as something exciting, something hopeful. She was off to meet her congresswoman, someone she was sure was good and important and might be a role model. She saw all this through the eyes of a child, undimmed by the cynicism or vitriol that we adults all too often just take for granted.

I want us to live up to her expectations. I want our democracy to be as good as she imagined it. All of us – we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations.

Christina was given to us on September 11th, 2001, one of 50 babies born that day to be pictured in a book called “Faces of Hope.” On either side of her photo in that book were simple wishes for a child’s life. “I hope you help those in need,” read one. “I hope you know all of the words to the National Anthem and sing it with your hand over your heart. I hope you jump in rain puddles.”

If there are rain puddles in heaven, Christina is jumping in them today. And here on Earth, we place our hands over our hearts, and commit ourselves as Americans to forging a country that is forever worthy of her gentle, happy spirit.

May God bless and keep those we’ve lost in restful and eternal peace. May He love and watch over the survivors. And may He bless the United States of America.



Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/blogs/beltway-confidential/2011/01/text-president-obamas-speech-tucson-memorial-service#ixzz1AvmKeRjt

Sunday, January 9, 2011

Autism



As a student with aspirations to become a special education teacher, and someone who has spent a lot of time working with and studying disabilities there are a lot of things I hope to share with people. With the new studies stating that 1 in 110 children have autism, it's likely you will or have come across a child with autism. You may not realize it and may make judgements, but before you do read this:

Here are ten things every child with autism wishes you knew:

1. I am first and foremost a child. I have autism. I am not primarily “autistic.” My autism is only one aspect of my total character. It does not define me as a person. Are you a person with thoughts, feelings and many talents, or are you just fat (overweight), myopic (wear glasses) or klutzy (uncoordinated, not good at sports)? Those may be things that I see first when I meet you, but they are not necessarily what you are all about.
As an adult, you have some control over how you define yourself. If you want to single out a single characteristic, you can make that known. As a child, I am still unfolding. Neither you nor I yet know what I may be capable of. Defining me by one characteristic runs the danger of setting up an expectation that may be too low. And if I get a sense that you don’t think I “can do it,” my natural response will be: Why try?
2. My sensory perceptions are disordered. Sensory integration may be the most difficult aspect of autism to understand, but it is arguably the most critical. It his means that the ordinary sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches of everyday that you may not even notice can be downright painful for me. The very environment in which I have to live often seems hostile. I may appear withdrawn or belligerent to you but I am really just trying to defend myself. Here is why a “simple” trip to the grocery store may be hell for me:
My hearing may be hyper-acute. Dozens of people are talking at once. The loudspeaker booms today’s special. Musak whines from the sound system. Cash registers beep and cough, a coffee grinder is chugging. The meat cutter screeches, babies wail, carts creak, the fluorescent lighting hums. My brain can’t filter all the input and I’m in overload!My sense of smell may be highly sensitive. The fish at the meat counter isn’t quite fresh, the guy standing next to us hasn’t showered today, the deli is handing out sausage samples, the baby in line ahead of us has a poopy diaper, they’re mopping up pickles on aisle 3 with ammonia....I can’t sort it all out. I am dangerously nauseated.
Because I am visually oriented (see more on this below), this may be my first sense to become overstimulated. The fluorescent light is not only too bright, it buzzes and hums. The room seems to pulsate and it hurts my eyes. The pulsating light bounces off everything and distorts what I am seeing -- the space seems to be constantly changing. There’s glare from windows, too many items for me to be able to focus (I may compensate with "tunnel vision"), moving fans on the ceiling, so many bodies in constant motion. All this affects my vestibular and proprioceptive senses, and now I can’t even tell where my body is in space.
3. Please remember to distinguish between won’t (I choose not to) and can’t (I am not able to). Receptive and expressive language and vocabulary can be major challenges for me. It isn’t that I don’t listen to instructions. It’s that I can’t understand you. When you call to me from across the room, this is what I hear: “*&^%$#@, Billy. #$%^*&^%$&*.........” Instead, come speak directly to me in plain words: “Please put your book in your desk, Billy. It’s time to go to lunch.” This tells me what you want me to do and what is going to happen next. Now it is much easier for me to comply.
4. I am a concrete thinker. This means I interpret language very literally. It’s very confusing for me when you say, “Hold your horses, cowboy!” when what you really mean is “Please stop running.” Don’t tell me something is a “piece of cake” when there is no dessert in sight and what you really mean is “this will be easy for you to do.” When you say “Jamie really burned up the track,” I see a kid playing with matches. Please just tell me “Jamie ran very fast.”
Idioms, puns, nuances, double entendres, inference, metaphors, allusions and sarcasm are lost on me.
5. Please be patient with my limited vocabulary. It’s hard for me to tell you what I need when I don’t know the words to describe my feelings. I may be hungry, frustrated, frightened or confused but right now those words are beyond my ability to express. Be alert for body language, withdrawal, agitation or other signs that something is wrong.
Or, there’s a flip side to this: I may sound like a “little professor” or movie star, rattling off words or whole scripts well beyond my developmental age. These are messages I have memorized from the world around me to compensate for my language deficits because I know I am expected to respond when spoken to. They may come from books, TV, the speech of other people. It is called “echolalia.” I don’t necessarily understand the context or the terminology I’m using. I just know that it gets me off the hook for coming up with a reply.
6. Because language is so difficult for me, I am very visually oriented. Please show me how to do something rather than just telling me. And please be prepared to show me many times. Lots of consistent repetition helps me learn.
A visual schedule is extremely helpful as I move through my day. Like your day-timer, it relieves me of the stress of having to remember what comes next, makes for smooth transition between activities, helps me manage my time and meet your expectations.
I won’t lose the need for a visual schedule as I get older, but my “level of representation” may change. Before I can read, I need a visual schedule with photographs or simple drawings. As I
get older, a combination of words and pictures may work, and later still, just words.
7. Please focus and build on what I can do rather than what I can’t do. Like any other human, I can’t learn in an environment where I’m constantly made to feel that I’m not good enough and that I need “fixing.” Trying anything new when I am almost sure to be met with criticism, however “constructive,” becomes something to be avoided. Look for my strengths and you will find them. There is more than one “right” way to do most things.
8. Please help me with social interactions. It may look like I don’t want to play with the other kids on the playground, but sometimes it’s just that I simply do not know how to start a conversation or enter a play situation. If you can encourage other children to invite me to join them at kickball or shooting baskets, it may be that I’m delighted to be included.
I do best in structured play activities that have a clear beginning and end. I don’t know how to “read” facial expressions, body language or the emotions of others, so I appreciate ongoing coaching in proper social responses. For example, if I laugh when Emily falls off the slide, it’s not that I think it’s funny. It’s that I don’t know the proper response. Teach me to say “Are you OK?”
9. Try to identify what triggers my meltdowns. Meltdowns, blow-ups, tantrums or whatever you want to call them are even more horrid for me than they are for you. They occur because one or more of my senses has gone into overload. If you can figure out why my meltdowns occur, they can be prevented. Keep a log noting times, settings, people, activities. A pattern may emerge.
Try to remember that all behavior is a form of communication. It tells you, when my words cannot, how I perceive something that is happening in my environment.
Parents, keep in mind as well: persistent behavior may have an underlying medical cause. Food allergies and sensitivities, sleep disorders and gastrointestinal problems can all have profound effects on behavior.
10. Love me unconditionally. Banish thoughts like, “If he would just......” and “Why can’t she.....” You did not fulfill every last expectation your parents had for you and you wouldn’t like being constantly reminded of it. I did not choose to have autism. But remember that it is happening to me, not you. Without your support, my chances of successful, self-reliant adulthood are slim. With your support and guidance, the possibilities are broader than you might think. I promise you – I am worth it.
And finally, three words: Patience. Patience. Patience. Work to view my autism as a different ability rather than a disability. Look past what you may see as limitations and see the gifts autism has given me. It may be true that I’m not good at eye contact or conversation, but have you noticed that I don’t lie, cheat at games, tattle on my classmates or pass judgment on other people? Also true that I probably won’t be the next Michael Jordan. But with my attention to fine detail and capacity for extraordinary focus, I might be the next Einstein. Or Mozart. Or Van Gogh.
They had autism too.

By Ellen Notbohm from the book Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knew (© 2005) (Future Horizons, Inc.)

Saturday, January 8, 2011

Pizza

Here is my Wii family. It's my boyfriend (who really isn't fat, but they don't take in consideration muscle weight), my mom, me, my brother, my dad, and my dogs - Dallas and Houston.
{Wii Family}

Alright, so that is besides the point of pizza. Last night I decided I would make dinner. My boyfriend and I were at Winco Foods. We decided pizza would be a good choice, but look at that family. Do you think any of us could decided on what we wanted on our pizza? (Definitely not) Here is the run down. The guys like meat - a lot of meat and cheese and  maybe some olives. My dad doesn't like onions, but my brother does. My boyfriend, myself, and my mom likes jalapenos. I don't eat meat. My mom and I like veggies, but the guys don't. Crazy right? I am sure there a lot of families out there like this. So here is what we make:
That is a picture of my pizza. It was the only one left to take  a picture of. The point is: everyone gets to make their pizza exactly how they want it. As for me, I like veggies of all sorts with extra marinara sauce. 

Thursday, January 6, 2011

Busy Busy Busy.

First Week:
It's the first week back to school and work. Therefore I am busy. I'm taking a literacy class, an assessment class, a special education assessment class, an intro to education class, and I have my internship. That adds up to 21 credits. My internship is only 1 credit, but it is a whole lot of work. I am also working. It's crazy, but all worth it, and I love it.


I met with my mentor teacher today. That meant getting up earlier than usual and dressing my best. I don't usually dress up for work (I work with a kindergartener in a life skills class). So what do I wear that is professional and comfortable?



{Croft and Barrow Heels}





Why am I doing all of this?


Here is my inspiration for becoming a teacher:


My dad has definitely been my biggest inspiration for becoming a teacher. Teaching has always been the answer to, "What do you want to be when you grow up"? It started with some amazing teachers in elementary school, but that never compared to how much I have always looked up to my dad.When I was in third grade my dad started his student teaching and he loved it. Therefore from third grade on I knew I was going to college and some day I would be student teaching. 

When my dad became a teacher he would come home with so many stories. Some would be funny, some would be sad, but most of them would be inspirational.  After a few years of those stories I decided I didn't just want to be a teacher, but I wanted to be a teacher that would make a difference. Through middle school I spent a lot of time in my dads class - helping set up, prepare for his lessons, and other little things. I would even go into work with him on the weekends, and I loved it. Through high school I helped him with programs such as gear up, he set me up with teachers that I could help with in their classroom, and I helped set up for teacher trainings he had.  He's also been on the autism cadre, which led me to special education. 

Without my dad around I am sure I would have wanted to be a teacher, but I don't think it would have been something I put much thought into. Because of my dad I want to not only teach, but make a difference. I want to be a great teacher. Also, because of my dad I am interested in special education and I have learned so much about special education through him. 


Monday, January 3, 2011

Sick

I'm feeling a little under the weather. I'm the last one to get sick in my family, and I got sick the last day of winter break. Since I was in bed most of the day yesterday I read an entire book. I have a collection of books from my grandma that I haven't read so I started with this one.



I learned a few things by reading this book, and was reminded of some things as well. 

  1. "You're trying to change circumstances that are out of your control rather than serving God in the midst of them. And you're worrying too"  - That is something I really need to work on. I always feel like I can change things and that I should be trying to change things. When that is not at all what I should be doing. I should be letting God handle everything and serve him in the midst of everything
  2. "I would be crushed if I lost you, but I remind myself of one thing: God is still in control. If it is God's will that you die, then you could go swimming with Tess on your honey-moon and drown." -The Bible says many times not to worry, yet I find myself worrying about everything and everyone I care about. Instead I should be praying and trusting God. 
  3. "Second Corinthians 5 days, "Therefore, we are always confident, Knowing that, while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and are willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the lord' " - "Can there ever be good news at a funeral? the pastor asked. I just read the verses to you that would give a resounding yes!" - Again not worrying and being afraid of death. That verse explains it all. 
  4. "If at any point I had started to feel that I couldn't live without him, then I would have had to examine my own heart and see that as a sin. The only person I can't live without is Christ" - Remembering this has been a struggle in my life and I continue to work on it. 
This book is not only full of lessons. This book has inspired me to become closer to Christ. To read the bible and to be a better Christian. Besides that, this book is an amazing Love story. It's so special and I am so glad my grandma gave it to me to read. 

Sunday, January 2, 2011

Sunday.

Yes, today is Sunday. The last day of the weekend, and the last day of winter break.  So what do I have to look towards now?

  1. I'm taking 21 credits this next quarter. My full load plus an extra 6 credits. 
  2. I'll be continuing to work part time in a special education elementary class, while I have an internship in a special education class. 
  3. My boyfriend will be leaving for spring training in Florida, completely across the country
It's not all so bad though. On January 14th my boyfriend and I will have been dating for 4 years. After this quarter I will have 1 year until I have a teaching certificate. Every break I get I will be visiting my boyfriend in Florida and wherever he'll be after spring training. I'm also looking forward to Valentines Day. I'm hoping my guy will still be around, but who knows. Baseball has been very unpredictable as far as scheduling goes.

Farewell winter break.
It's been one of the best ever. I got to spend it with my boyfriend and spent Christmas with my entire family for the first time ever. I finally got to read some enjoyable books, and practice some DIY projects. I say practice because I am entirely impatient and not at all crafty, but i am creative and love the idea of making things. 

{Houston with his Mets bandana I made for him}
A white bandana, fabric markers, and a pencil to trace with. 


Not as great as the blogger I took the idea from, and not quite finished, but for me it's not bad. 


{Sunday's at Tiffany's}
It's worth reading and it's a lifetime movie. I haven't gotten the chance to watch it yet though.