Crossroads

Crossroads. That's exactly where I am at this moment. In just over a month, I will be standing before a room of 8th graders expected to fill them with knowledge of all things Language Arts. Somehow that makes me feel more "adult". Weird, I know.

At this moment, I'm surrounded by boxes with over half our items stashed/packed away. In less than 2 weeks we'll be back on the Coast. It's very difficult to explain how that makes me feel. In one sense it's going home. In another I wonder what we'll do with our time. Here in Southaven nearly everything we need is just at our fingertips. But I miss family. I miss what makes the Coast the Coast. Yes, it's quite different since Katrina, but it draws me. Oh, how I miss the water. The humidity? Not so much. I am stoked to be teaching at my old high school. And to have friends and family so nearby will be wonderful. In fact, we'll be living about 3 doors down from my parents. I'll have to post pictures once we get settled. We definitely don't have enough items to fill a house, but those will come. I can't wait to have a kitchen with more counter space and cabinets. I love this apartment we're in now, but the kitchen is sooooo tiny. And we don't use the complex to its full potential. We've yet to use the pool or volleyball court. I thought I'd be there every weekend, but nope, didn't work that way. I seem to have pigeon-holed myself in our "home". It's hard to explain. I love being out and doing things with people, yet weekend after weekend, David and I find ourselves at home. Don't get me wrong, there have been plenty of times we've hung out with friends or done things together, but somehow it's just not the same. We miss our church family at FBC Biloxi; that's where David and I met and were married, where I worked for 2 years, where all our friends attend. I know it's difficult for my parents to accept that we're not going to be attending Emmanuel with them, but First Biloxi is where we belong...for now. Maybe that will change; I don't know.

There have been so many changes and upsets in our lives over the past 2 months. I'm so ready for them to work themselves out. Again, our crossroads. Just events that I never dreamed would happen have. Many of those I can't post here. Too many eyes and ears. Anyways, please keep us in your prayers: David had a great interview last week, and we're waiting to hear on one of two jobs for him. I'm so ready to get settled into a routine; I thrive on structure and lists. All this up and down mess is totally killing me. Soon, though, soon. Ahhh, the serenity of being busier than you can imagine because it keeps you from thinking. The story of my life.

Finito!

Okay, so I have no idea if that's the correct way to spell finished in, what, Spanish, or not. Maybe I just made that up! Anyways, I am. I am finished with my teaching course! It's rather bittersweet. We have been looking for this day for 3 weeks, but it saddens me because we have all become a pretty tight-knit group. We have our inside jokes, shared frustrations, and memories. We crammed so much into a small time period and spent the past 2 days presenting/teaching our peers. Quite intimidating, but I felt as if I thrived on it.

Panic started this morning when I arrived way early, walked into the commons, then realized I had left my bag with all my materials at home! There was no way on this planet to get what I had left---magazines, scissors, my group dividing materials---before my presentation at 8:30 (with class stuff before). Thankfully, I have a loving husband who rolled straight out of bed when I called at 7:50, slid on flip-flops, grabbed my bag, and drove the 25 minutes to bring my items to me. He saved the day! And then things went just wonderfully! In fact, I was even asked to present twice! That was quite the honor. My lesson was on persuasion in advertising and the use of logos. We played a fun group game that I copied/adapted from Guess the Logo (link). Seriously, check it out. I can almost assure you that you don't pay as much attention to details as you believe you do. And no cheating! (Pretend I said that in my teacher voice!)

I almost hate to go back to work Monday; not because of the people or anything, but I just hate sitting for so long. It's only for a few more weeks; another goodbye that will be bittersweet. But changes are a'comin' for so many. David and I are still searching for a house, and that is taking its sweet time. I'm not sure what will happen. I know God has the home for us, but it's definitely stressing me to still be looking! I'm so ready for a place to call home and know we'll be staying more than a few months (like when we moved from our old apartment to the one we're currently in). So many details, so little time! (So it seems.)

Down to the Wire

I'm down to my last 2 days of class, and boy, am I ever ready for them to be over! I don't think it would be so bad if David and I weren't having to figure out when we're moving, how we're moving, and where we're moving. That last part is giving us so much trouble. We thought some things were lined up and then this weekend drastically altered that situation. I can't go into details because it will become a bash-fest and I need to move on. Don't get me wrong, I'm still hurt, but I've learned a few valuable lessons. We need a house desperately and we need it soon. I need somewhere to call home and know where I can be myself. We're planning to move around July 11 or so, but we don't have a destination yet!

Teaching Boot Camp

I simply wanted to put up some pictures of my notebook since I did have a friend say she was interested in seeing it! I don't think the pictures do it justice. It's a 2 inch binder crammed full of info and we add to it daily. I also have a teaching portfolio I've created and a resource notebook I've started for the coming year. Next week we present a lesson as if we're actually teaching. There are so many elements we have to include it's making my head spin. Any ideas on how to start a lesson on persuasion with a "hook"? :)

I underestimated

To all my teachers and friends who are teachers--I understimated. I underestimated nearly everything you did/do for your classroom. I underestimated just how much time and energy and creativity it takes to shape young minds and get them excited about learning.

I'm one week down in my class to get my one year license via alternate route, and I'm exhausted. Of course, we're cramming like 2 years of education courses into a 3 week period and it's intense. On day 1 we were told that this class is pretty much like a boot camp. My instructors weren't kidding! I'm just thankful I know PowerPoint and other programs already. But making unit and lesson plans are simply stressing me out!

As an English "person", I've only had a few papers in my school career that looked like they were bleeding. Add another to that list today, only the ink was blue! I even switched verb tenses. How can I expect to TEACH English when I switch verb tenses?! Granted, it was a rough draft, but I wanted to smack my forehead. Jeez.

Then my instructors intimidate me. They smile and joke at the front of the room, then I get them one-on-one and I get blank stares and stoic faces. Ooooh, I feel comfortable. *sarcasm* But I can do this, I will do this, and I will make an impact in some student's life. Even if it's just one.

(The picture is one of the books that many teachers use as a vital resource; DeSoto Co. even gives a copy to every teacher. I would put a picture of my notebook--it's a lovely 2 inch binder crammed with information--but who wants to see that?)

BBQ

David and I suggested having a cook-out at my folks' house the next weekend we were to come down since my sister and nephew would be here from CA. The next time we talked to my mom, the event had grown from us, my parents, sister, nephew, and grandparents to aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends. We went from 8 to about 30! Gabe loved Ty; our "kitty kitty". He could be in the middle of a crying fit, see the cat, and dry it up. I wanted to post a few pictures from the family shindig; we had a kiddie pool and slip-n-slide for the younguns and my dad fixed up our old play gym in the backyard. It was a little awkward having members from both sides of the family all together, but it worked okay.

Debbie Downer

If you watch Saturday Night Live, you likely know exactly who Debbie Downer is. And that is exactly how I feel this evening. We are on the Coast visiting family and house-hunting, and let me tell you, it's hard! David is at an auction at First Baptist Biloxi; there are all sorts of items donated for this shindig: furniture, cruises, teeth whitening appointments, etc. Good stuff. I was going to go, but after a day of helping dad a bit in the yard (getting pretty dang sweaty) and then looking at homes and talking through this and that, I felt I needed some time alone. My sister and nephew are seeing her mother-in-law in Hurley, and my parents are at a movie night at their church. Big mistake for me to hole myself up. If you know me at all, when I'm idle I think. Too much. Too hard. Too long. Ask my husband. It's obsessive for me. And tonight it's even more so. For those of you who don't know much about the Coast, let me simply say that thanks to a fierocious beast named Katrina, housing and insurance costs have skyrocketed. For example, a house roughly the same size as our apartment in Southaven is nearly double on the Gulf Coast. Then you have to take into account insurance. Let's not even go there! While it is a buyer's market right now, David and I are considering renting for a couple months. We have a variety of personal reasons for that, and we want to make sure teaching is my niche before we make such a huge commitment. It's not so much that we can't afford the rent, but I'm very concerned about a length of time between paychecks. See, in order to be at new teacher orientation and prep for the school year, I need to get down here mid-late July. Okay, well, my next paycheck wouldn't come until the end of August as teachers only get paid once a month. Hmmm. Huge quandry. We're thinking through a few ways to resolve that, but we don't have a clear answer yet. Maybe I'm naive, but part of me just felt that we'd come this weekend and discover a gem of a house tucked away somewhere that God set aside just for us, a home calling our name. Now I'm not saying that couldn't happen, but it hasn't...yet. We've looked at some great houses, but in my finite mind, I just don't deem it feasible to do at this moment (now with insane deposits for everything-housing, cable, power). My parents are helping us immensely, and we might bunk with them for a month or two. But we can rest assured these houses we're looking at now will not be available then. So do we hold out? Keep searching? I don't know. Where will David find work? I know God handed me this job, but...no, there should be no buts! He has a plan. Okay, Jamie, pick your chin up, get out of this funk, and realize you're not doing this alone. These details will all work out. Right? They will. Will they really? (This inner battle is quite normal for me! And boy does it get old fast! But then I wonder, is this all just a lack of faith? That's an entirely different blog, I believe!)