I'm a Slacker Blogger...

I never realize how much time passes in between posts...it's not even that I'm THAT busy, I guess I'm just filling life with other things. It's hard to believe that I've now lived in MY house for a year. It's more fun to think about this summer and landscaping, doing all those things that I didn't do last summer...now that the house feels more like it's MINE.
The year is winding down...the kids are winding up....The weather went from snow to tropical within days, and now there is talk of more snow...Love Michigan weather....
June 6 will be here the next time I blink...my seniors will have graduated...my sophomores will be juniors (most of them) and my juniors will be ruling the school...I think the coolest thing about teaching is seeing that growth in "my kids" each year - especially now, looking back at the year I've had with some of them...and these seniors....I look back to their freshman year...So many good memories....And so many more to come.
Paz.

Hardest Thing....

It's easy to forget how fragile life is. How easily it can be taken from you. I think it's even harder when you're young and you have your whole life ahead of you. You have goals, dreams. You have all your friends in your corner. It can all be gone in an instant. I was reminded of this today at the funeral home. Seeing a former student, 19 years old. Holding his friends, my "kids" who could hardly stand because of the grief. 19. So many years ahead of him. Gone. In an instant. When I decided to become a teacher, I didn't think about losing students young. Or being a grief counselor. I just wanted to teach and love kids. Now, so many of my kids feel like my own flesh and blood. They're my family. And to see them in pain just breaks my heart. My prayer is that they learn from this - to treat their loved ones with respect and love every day of their lives. To live each moment to the fullest, because it could be their last. To have fun. To spend time with their family and friends. To dream big, and work hard to acheive those dreams. To live life without regret. I know this experience has once again put life into perspective for me. I just know...as Rascal Flatts says "I wanna be running when the sand runs out".
RIP Alan. Gone, but not forgotten. In our hearts. Always.

More snow.......

Just when you think Michigan's weather can't get any worse...it does. It's been pretty easy this winter, the snow started just about a month ago, but we're on our 3rd blizzard straight, in 3 weeks. No snow day today...maybe tomorrow...

Above is the view from my front porch....

Nothing else really going on...it's Swirl week so things are hectic...plus the play is in less than a month...hopefully the kids will be ready....

Paz.

Fire and Ice...

So, I took this picture over break...the snow had stopped falling and the weather was warming...everything was melting and turning BLAH. Then, I went out to get the mail and saw the coolest icicles ever in the shrubbery in front of my house. I played with the color and filtering to make it artsy....Gotta love winter in Michigan. Can't wait for JUNE...the cold is starting to get OLD! If only we could have a flippin snow day!
Paz.

Procrastinating....

I swear I'm the worst student ever, but this time I'm not working on school work...Well, it is work for school, but for work school, not school school. Does that make sense? I'm trying desperately to finish my unit plan before break ends, but alas, here I sit...once again....surfing and playing around rather than working. For some reason, I think I'll get it done next week sometime. And of course, I will, because by then it HAS to be done....I work better under pressure. Maybe I should've gotten that procrastinator's calendar I saw yesterday... ;)
Nothing really new to say...I'm ready to go back to work. The break is nice, but it gets old after a it. Surprising, I know! At least this year I'm in a house, not in that tiny apartment bored out of my skull. We have a basketball game tonight, and this weekend is sure to be somewhat busy, so I'm going to enjoy the quiet while I can....
Ok...back to....procrastinating.
Paz.

Every New Beginning Comes From...

Some beginning's end...
Well, the final hours of 2007 are waning and I have a minute to reflect...As I "mature" (I hate to say 'get older'), major accomplishments in my life are more and more important. When I was in high school, I planned to have my doctorate before 35 - masters by 25. Well, life sure is different than what we plan for...And while I'm not the rousing success my younger self thought I would be, this year held one huge accomplishment for me - the purchase of my own home. And while I had to put the academic world aside for a year in order to achieve this dream, it was 100% worth it. Not a day goes by that I DON'T miss that small apartment...and the white walls, and the old furniture and the dark kitchen. I love MY house. MY accomplishment. It's so easy to think about what I didn't do this year that I wanted to do - travel. Take classes. Graduate. It's important to focus on the stuff I did right. I got tenure. I bought a house. And 2008 will hold even more for me...going back to school....directing the school play and making it (hopefully) a rousing success, working on Student Council and trying to increase student involvement at school, working in my classroom to try to increase student achievement...and hopefully, taking that vacation in the SUN that I so desperately need! So, enjoy your last hours of 2007. Focus on some accomplishments. Be safe. Have fun. See you next year!
Paz.

Merry (late) Christmas

Well, the marathon that is Christmas with my family has ended. We had no snafus, except grandma falling again and thus posing a minor attitude problem on Christmas Eve because of the pain. She went to the ER and is fine....she's on pain meds and happy as a lark;)

Today was my first true day of vacation. I got my hair cut, ran some errands and read, and watched a couple of movies. I've now read 3 books so far over break, finished one a day...I'm a geek, I know...but rarely do I get this kind of time to read, so I'm soaking it up.

The weather's been great, I think it hit almost 50 yesterday, but we're gearing up for another storm. The storm watch starts tomorrow and we're supposed to get at least 6 inches. Every time it snows, the weather is beautiful for 3 days later and the snow melts...then it storms again and we start all over. Gotta love West Michigan winters!

Well, nothing new to report. Just had to say howdy and feliz navidad!
Paz.