This year, I had 17 days in a row off work for Spring Break. It was wonderful, and now that I've been back at work for a week, I can say I truly miss it. This week was hard to get through, ha.
I wasn't really looking forward to it, though, because I had nothing to do. Two whole weeks, three weekends off and not a single plan. No out of town trips or anything...
but despite that, I ended up having the best Spring Break ever simply by making the most of it. The following is a list of things I did:
Spring Break 08
1. spent one-on-one time with 5 girls from the youth group
2. severely gutted out 2 closets in my classroom that hadnt been touched since august
3. priced my new birth control at 4 pharmacies and filled the prescription at CVS
4. completely rearranged my living room
5. completely cleaned the said living room, kitchen and bathroom
6. planned and threw a st. pats party (included cooking corned beef and cabbage!)
7. took care of a random family situation that would take too long to explain
8. put up all new pics on the fridge
9. discussed a midterm with fellow students and turned it in
10. attended a sunday school teacher's meeting
11. taught dylan and ian how to play rummy
12. talked to a coworker on the phone for an hour and a half
13. is watching The O.C. season 1 an accomplishment?
14. what about season 6 of Gilmore Girls?
15. cooked a nice steak dinner for Rachel
16. had a girls' movie night with my adult friends
17. made a list of 100 things i'm grateful for
18. read through 4 years of old xanga entries...
19. tagged a bunch of pics on facebook that i added 9 months ago
20. participated as a teacher sponsor in a mathlete competition
21. did over 10 loads of laundry
22. completely cleaned and reorganized my bedroom
23. watched Season 1 of Arrested Development
24. watched tons of movies, new and old
25. thoroughly caught up with family
26. bought my niece a spring dress
27. painted my toenails green
28. went to IKEA for the first time
29. assembled IKEA chair and rearranged living room, again
30. slept in and in general, relaxed a lot
31. went on a Target spree
32. created lesson plans for 2 weeks
33. created new seating charts
34. spent Easter with Ft. Worth family
35. hosted shindig at apt
36. did homework assignment for Master’s class
37. bought new sandals
38. got rid of a lot of clothes/shoes from my closet
39. made a cake
40. watched a little bit of Idol and became a David Cook fan
I'm quite proud of myself, which is why I'm posting this.
Imagine what kind of list I'll make this summer...
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
connected
recently, ive been thinking about friends and friendships, specifically my own, and my history.
it could be because i dont really have close friends really here in ft. worth, and i'm losing touch with some of my closest friends...
but i was starting to question some things...
and i came to the following conclusions:
1. i do indeed have a good set of quality BFFs that go above and beyond the call of duty.
2. even moreso, i do have a plethora of good friends that even when going months without speaking to each other through any format, still really care about my life and are very interested in how i am doing. they still cherish any memories we have had, and will pray for me at the drop of a hat.
3. i should consider it a good thing that i even have several acquaintances, with the help of social networking sites have been able to keep in touch. sometimes this makes me feel bad, because i have hundreds of friends and yet go weeks without anybody leaving their mark on my sites... but i realize that these people still are interested in my life, even in the smallest bit. even the occasional page-view allows them to see what im doing with myself and keep updated. if they didnt care at all, they would never have added me. i say this, because i know its true about how i feel about them. i may not comment, but i do read the bulletins, look through pictures, read "about me" and smile knowing i'm able to keep in touch with somebody from my past...
and that renewed my general self-esteem as well as my self-efficacy. sometimes when im feeling lonely, i tend to cling to a few people in order to get validation... but knowing that people out there love me, even just the tiniest bit, is all i need to believe in myself. by believing in myself, im allowing myself to have healthier relationships with the friends i do have. its a nice cycle (when its working, cause when its not, it works backwards... not good).
thanks ya'll
it could be because i dont really have close friends really here in ft. worth, and i'm losing touch with some of my closest friends...
but i was starting to question some things...
and i came to the following conclusions:
1. i do indeed have a good set of quality BFFs that go above and beyond the call of duty.
2. even moreso, i do have a plethora of good friends that even when going months without speaking to each other through any format, still really care about my life and are very interested in how i am doing. they still cherish any memories we have had, and will pray for me at the drop of a hat.
3. i should consider it a good thing that i even have several acquaintances, with the help of social networking sites have been able to keep in touch. sometimes this makes me feel bad, because i have hundreds of friends and yet go weeks without anybody leaving their mark on my sites... but i realize that these people still are interested in my life, even in the smallest bit. even the occasional page-view allows them to see what im doing with myself and keep updated. if they didnt care at all, they would never have added me. i say this, because i know its true about how i feel about them. i may not comment, but i do read the bulletins, look through pictures, read "about me" and smile knowing i'm able to keep in touch with somebody from my past...
and that renewed my general self-esteem as well as my self-efficacy. sometimes when im feeling lonely, i tend to cling to a few people in order to get validation... but knowing that people out there love me, even just the tiniest bit, is all i need to believe in myself. by believing in myself, im allowing myself to have healthier relationships with the friends i do have. its a nice cycle (when its working, cause when its not, it works backwards... not good).
thanks ya'll
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
growth
i've been reflecting a lot lately (when am i not?)
and i've noticed something about my peers.
they've either grown up a lot, just starting the process or not at all.
by the time you hit 24, it becomes glaringly obvious which state you are in.
and i dont mean to say that those who are in the "grown up" category are completely mature, or aren't constantly working on themselves... on the contrary, the reason people are in this group is because they are always aware of areas in their life that need improvement and work towards that. that's what makes a person mature in the first place.
and the category that you are in today has little to do with how mature you were in high school. i've noticed several of my peers who were considered mature in high school sort of stabilize there, and have not only made no positive changes since then, but actually several negative ones. in addition, ive seen several peers who i'd never hesitate to call immature in high school realize upon entering college or the real world that something has to change, and got their act together to become some of the most mature people i know.
and like always, there's a middle ground here. for you see, some people in the latter category may have made it to this point in life before realizing their need to grow and change, and are just now taking the necessary first steps to accomplish this maturity.
and like i said, its very easy to spot which category a person fits under at this age... especially once you realize their age. i recently informed somebody that i was the same age as another youth worker (who is somewhere in the middle of "not mature at all" and "starting to grow") and she did not believe me - she thought he was at least 3 years younger than his age, and that i was a few years older than my age.
i dont mean this to sound like an "im awesome and mature, and everyone should wish they were as adult as me" post, cause honestly thats not true at all... remember the part about us always growing, always trying to improve, seeing our flaws and working on them?.... yeah i definitely am there. "not that ive already obtained it...." you know the rest.
this is merely an observation. i was most intrigued by the fact that present maturity levels did not necessarily corresspond with high school levels...
thoughts?
::edit:: upon reflecting more, i wanted to clarify my definition of maturity. as a continuation of the "not already obtained it" thought, i don't think of maturity in the scientific sense, where a fully mature animal is completely grown. but in psychological sense, where i am in the right stage where i belong. think skinner, for instance. it's comparable to an IQ test, which is calculated by taking your intelligence age and dividing it by your real age...
because i would never presume to say that im completely adult, im fully mature. but if im acting like a 24 year old (or somewhere near that) as a 24 year old, then im doing pretty good.
which is why is perfectly possible for somebody to act like a 20 year old at 16 and be considered mature, but for that same person to not have grown at all and acts like a 20 year old at 24 and cause concern.
i would never expect my 12 year old students to act like my seniors. and id never expect my seniors to act like twentysomethings. and i hope nobody expects me as a twentysomething to act like a middle-aged adult.
and i've noticed something about my peers.
they've either grown up a lot, just starting the process or not at all.
by the time you hit 24, it becomes glaringly obvious which state you are in.
and i dont mean to say that those who are in the "grown up" category are completely mature, or aren't constantly working on themselves... on the contrary, the reason people are in this group is because they are always aware of areas in their life that need improvement and work towards that. that's what makes a person mature in the first place.
and the category that you are in today has little to do with how mature you were in high school. i've noticed several of my peers who were considered mature in high school sort of stabilize there, and have not only made no positive changes since then, but actually several negative ones. in addition, ive seen several peers who i'd never hesitate to call immature in high school realize upon entering college or the real world that something has to change, and got their act together to become some of the most mature people i know.
and like always, there's a middle ground here. for you see, some people in the latter category may have made it to this point in life before realizing their need to grow and change, and are just now taking the necessary first steps to accomplish this maturity.
and like i said, its very easy to spot which category a person fits under at this age... especially once you realize their age. i recently informed somebody that i was the same age as another youth worker (who is somewhere in the middle of "not mature at all" and "starting to grow") and she did not believe me - she thought he was at least 3 years younger than his age, and that i was a few years older than my age.
i dont mean this to sound like an "im awesome and mature, and everyone should wish they were as adult as me" post, cause honestly thats not true at all... remember the part about us always growing, always trying to improve, seeing our flaws and working on them?.... yeah i definitely am there. "not that ive already obtained it...." you know the rest.
this is merely an observation. i was most intrigued by the fact that present maturity levels did not necessarily corresspond with high school levels...
thoughts?
::edit:: upon reflecting more, i wanted to clarify my definition of maturity. as a continuation of the "not already obtained it" thought, i don't think of maturity in the scientific sense, where a fully mature animal is completely grown. but in psychological sense, where i am in the right stage where i belong. think skinner, for instance. it's comparable to an IQ test, which is calculated by taking your intelligence age and dividing it by your real age...
because i would never presume to say that im completely adult, im fully mature. but if im acting like a 24 year old (or somewhere near that) as a 24 year old, then im doing pretty good.
which is why is perfectly possible for somebody to act like a 20 year old at 16 and be considered mature, but for that same person to not have grown at all and acts like a 20 year old at 24 and cause concern.
i would never expect my 12 year old students to act like my seniors. and id never expect my seniors to act like twentysomethings. and i hope nobody expects me as a twentysomething to act like a middle-aged adult.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
grateful
Just for my own sake, because it's good to do this often...
Things I am currently grateful for (in no particular order):
1. good music
2. a good concealer
3. internet
4. cold water
5. Target
6. TV on DVD
7. change
8. Panera in Ft. Worth
9. my cell phone
10. youth ministry
11. my job
12. my sense of smell
13. toe nail polish
14. tax returns
15. grace
16. Nelly the Neon
17. Dano the Nano
18. kleenex
19. a steady paycheck
20. my education
21. my husband
22. sleep
23. nice weather
24. Facebook
25. Gmail
26. Faith
27. Spring Break
28. flip flops
29. sunglasses
30. forgiveness
31. cute bags/purses
32. my niece
33. St. Louis Cardinals
34. coupons
35. gift cards
36. college
37. Texas
38. my health
39. God's strength
40. rollover minutes
41. my church body
42. contacts
43. my Flex Benefits card
44. the campus clinic
45. holidays
46. puzzles
47. blankets
48. socks
49. space heaters
50. lotion
51. text messaging
52. a nice breeze
53. color coding
54. encouragement
55. organization
56. decorating
57. Old Navy
58. Albertsons
59. ice cream
60. bread
61. Scripture
62. Salvation
63. digital cameras
64. memories
65. awards
66. jewelry
67. St. Louis
68. my library
69. my stuffed animals
70. my complexion
71. sweatpants
72. blue jeans
73. frequent flier miles
74. my youth
75. past experiences
76. my professor
77. my coworkers
78. candy
79. steak
80. french fries
81. friends (in general)
82. Kate
83. Darcie
84. Shannon
85. Rachel
86. family (in general)
87. my parents
88. my sister
89. my seniors, and other youth
90. Myspace
91. Xanga
92. Blogspot
93. my boss
94. getting packages in the mail
95. people adopting us as family
96. growth
97. conviction
98. movies
99. RedBox $1 rentals
100. downtown Ft. Worth
Wow, that was a lot easier than I expected. I was only going to name like 10, but they just kept coming... try it, you'll see...
Things I am currently grateful for (in no particular order):
1. good music
2. a good concealer
3. internet
4. cold water
5. Target
6. TV on DVD
7. change
8. Panera in Ft. Worth
9. my cell phone
10. youth ministry
11. my job
12. my sense of smell
13. toe nail polish
14. tax returns
15. grace
16. Nelly the Neon
17. Dano the Nano
18. kleenex
19. a steady paycheck
20. my education
21. my husband
22. sleep
23. nice weather
24. Facebook
25. Gmail
26. Faith
27. Spring Break
28. flip flops
29. sunglasses
30. forgiveness
31. cute bags/purses
32. my niece
33. St. Louis Cardinals
34. coupons
35. gift cards
36. college
37. Texas
38. my health
39. God's strength
40. rollover minutes
41. my church body
42. contacts
43. my Flex Benefits card
44. the campus clinic
45. holidays
46. puzzles
47. blankets
48. socks
49. space heaters
50. lotion
51. text messaging
52. a nice breeze
53. color coding
54. encouragement
55. organization
56. decorating
57. Old Navy
58. Albertsons
59. ice cream
60. bread
61. Scripture
62. Salvation
63. digital cameras
64. memories
65. awards
66. jewelry
67. St. Louis
68. my library
69. my stuffed animals
70. my complexion
71. sweatpants
72. blue jeans
73. frequent flier miles
74. my youth
75. past experiences
76. my professor
77. my coworkers
78. candy
79. steak
80. french fries
81. friends (in general)
82. Kate
83. Darcie
84. Shannon
85. Rachel
86. family (in general)
87. my parents
88. my sister
89. my seniors, and other youth
90. Myspace
91. Xanga
92. Blogspot
93. my boss
94. getting packages in the mail
95. people adopting us as family
96. growth
97. conviction
98. movies
99. RedBox $1 rentals
100. downtown Ft. Worth
Wow, that was a lot easier than I expected. I was only going to name like 10, but they just kept coming... try it, you'll see...
Saturday, March 8, 2008
young
Since quitting my last job, I naturally have had new life restored to me... and with that, apparently the secret of youth as well.
Because at least a half a dozen times since then, I have actually been mistaken for a teenager.
The security people at the airport... a teenage boy who hit on me... another teacher who asked me where my hall pass was...
Today was just another story to add on:
I was a middle school math competition today and saw a fellow teacher friend of mine, who is the exact same age. I was talking to him when a couple of his students asked him if I was his daughter.
So now, instead of looking like a 24-year-old, I look like a 24-year-old's kid.
Crazy!! And I know that when I'm older, I'll love looking younger... but really, I've been married for almost 3 years now, and out of high school for almost 6 years, and am getting mistaken on a regular basis for a kid...
I'm thinking it's time to start auditioning for teenage roles in TV shows/movies.
Because at least a half a dozen times since then, I have actually been mistaken for a teenager.
The security people at the airport... a teenage boy who hit on me... another teacher who asked me where my hall pass was...
Today was just another story to add on:
I was a middle school math competition today and saw a fellow teacher friend of mine, who is the exact same age. I was talking to him when a couple of his students asked him if I was his daughter.
So now, instead of looking like a 24-year-old, I look like a 24-year-old's kid.
Crazy!! And I know that when I'm older, I'll love looking younger... but really, I've been married for almost 3 years now, and out of high school for almost 6 years, and am getting mistaken on a regular basis for a kid...
I'm thinking it's time to start auditioning for teenage roles in TV shows/movies.
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