Baby Presents!

I've been trying to think of something to make my pregnant coworker and this is a very cute idea - especially if I could find a youth shirt that's from our school. Anyway, how cute!

Make a Baby Romper from a T Shirt - wikiHow

Currently reading: My Comp II students rough drafts - 6 left!!

I love Spring!

Not really important to this post, but I'm currently listening to David Cook's "Little Sparrow" and I must say, he's good. I've never watched Idol, but when I heard he was on I had to cause, dude, I've met him. And how many times can you say you have met, kinda know someone on national television? Exactly.

So, it's really been a week? I thought it'd been maybe 4 or 5 days since I updated, but apparently I really am getting older, cause that time flew by! I now have exactly one week left with my senior students. Ahh! Crazy. Right now I should be grading their rough drafts (of their final essay of the year...which they do not mind reminding me about). However, I am obviously distracting myself. First of all let me say, I'm an idiot. This is their 10th essay for me (over 2 semesters) and I have already read this essay once, and I'll have to read it again. Why oh why do I have them turn in a sentence outline, rough draft, and final draft? I believe I enjoy the torture.

:)

So, I took out my bike today. It was my day off for running, no real reason, I guess I'm just lazy. So instead of having it be a complete bum day I decided to try the new gel seat cover I got for my bike and actually ride a real bike outside. I take spinning classes, but I haven't been on a "real bike" in, well, at least a year. It was nice. The seat was awesome. I wasn't even wearing biking shorts and my butt is fine! I need to get an odometer so I can keep track of my mileage, but outside of that I'm kind of excited about this whole duathlon deal. We have to sign up by next week I think - at least for the cheaper rate - so I guess I'm going to print off the forms and take them home so Dad and I can get signed up.

I'm starting Weight Watchers in May...which I realize now is only 2 days away. The meetings here are on Thursday nights at 6:00. Go figure, same time as spinning class. I don't know if I'll just skip spinning for a week to get the initial idea of how things work and then just do it online, or see if I can find another place close by that has meetings. Oh! Looks like they have meetings on Monday's at 6:00 just about 15 miles from here. Guess that's where I'll be. My goal is 40 pounds. That'd be the ultimate goal though. I know 30-35 would be good enough for me, I haven't been that since 2004. Stupid weight. I am looking forward to more fruits and veggies, though. Hopefully I'll figure out a way to have a good time with it.

I think I've procrastinated the papers long enough. Unfortunately I have to have them done by 8:20 tomorrow morning. Ha, the next paper is on the negatives of standardized testing. That one shouldn't be too bad. I promise, I'll try to make the next entry more interesting.

Currently Reading: When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit

Challenge

So, last year in June I started going to the gym with my Mom. Sound weird? Well, my parents are both really into being healthy. Dad rock climbs, bikes, runs and just generally moves around a lot. Mom is always trying to make recipes healthier. She used to bike a lot but now she goes to the gym a lot and just does weights and such. I love that my parents are healthy, hopefully that wears off, right? So, I started going five times a week with Mom. Running, a few weights here and there. You know, just trying to get back into it. Last year when I lived on my own I did...nothing. And I do mean nothing. It was pathetic. So, now I take a spinning class once a week at the local gym and manage to run at least three times a week for at least 30 minutes and then bike for at least 25 minutes afterwards. Well, my spinning instructor's been trying to convince me to do a duathlon and I think I'm actually gonna do it! Ahh! I just have to commit to it, then I can't back out...right? Well, Dad's going to do it with me, which I think will be cool. I'll just have to start running after I bike after I've run. Haha. We'll see how that goes.

I give up and admit. It's that time of the year. I'm ready for the summer. That's the one perk of my job, Summers Off! Unfortunately right now I'm going to have to take at least four classes this summer. Good thing is that 3 of the classes meet only one night a week, go CMU! So, it won't seem totally overwhelming. It just means that I don't really have a summer off. Course, last summer was pretty easy, so I don't mind :)

The kids are definitely also at the point of exhaustion. I'm getting trouble from those kids who've never caused a problem before. They're (the seniors) just ready to get out. And I can't blame them. I was so ready I got out my junior year and I never regretted it a bit. College was great, and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with my students. It'll be interesting :)

Oh, and I'm looking at purchasing a new camera and little-impulsive-me is really looking forward to buying it and posting some new fun pictures!

Lions & Tigers & Bears...Oh wait, Nope!

So, today Erik and I set out to visit the St. Louis Zoo. We set off at about 11 a.m., got to the "zoo area" at about 1:30 p.m. Then at around 2:45 p.m. we discovered that both of the itsy bitsy parking lots were full. It took us that long to get from the north parking lot to the south parking lot. Oh, and we got lost on the way, too. :) It was a great trip to the zoo.

So, we figured out we were pretty much S.O.L. when it came to the zoo. I've been wanting to go for months now. I know, it's a zoo. But, I love animals, and it's something different to do. Plus, I haven't been to a zoo in years. Seriously. I can't remember the last time.

Once we figured out the zoo trip would have to wait we decided to go to the Science Center. Erik's an engineer and he'd never been, plus I just think it's cool. I think what he (and I) enjoyed the most were the logic puzzles. Some of them seemed impossible! There was one where you had to balance 12 nails on top of the head of one nail that was secured into a block of wood. We gave up thinking it had to be impossible, but I looked up the answer (I know, cheater), and it's pretty cool. I think I'll try it next time I'm home.

So even though our trip was much longer than expected, we still had fun. The Science Center is very cool if you ever get the chance. It's just the beginning of my summer of planned trips. I plan on going around Missouri to all of those places I've never been:

Arch (I've been, but come on, it's cool)
Hannibal (Mark Twain!)
Elephant Rock State Park (also been, but it's pretty, and also cool)
Biking on the Katy Trail
And we'll see what else when I get my Missouri Tourism guide.

I'd go further, but I have no money and, alas, must take way too many classes this summer. So, Missouri, here I come.

Currently reading: Knee Knock Rise

Hypocritical Procrastinator

I find myself lately sitting at home after I get home and doing...nothing! You'd think since I run into kids day long at school coming up with the most creative excuses as to why they don't get their homework done that I'd be the last person to procrastinate. Ha! You're wrong. It's not like I'm putting off anything extremely important, and I do still manage to force myself to the gym at least three times a week, but I still feel guilty. Is there something wrong with me?

So lately on my morning drive to work I've been concerned (again) about the news on the election front. Is it just because it's been going on so long that I'm tiring of stories about Obama and Clinton duking it out? I was disappointed in Obama's comments last week, even though I definitely understand where he's coming from. I guess the main disappointment is that in all other instances he's seemed like such a wonderful speaker, engaging, inspiring. It just caught me off guard. Don't get me wrong, I still like him more than Clinton, but it does concern me.

A Little about Me:
I hail from a relatively small town, Fayette, Missouri. When I graduated I couldn't "settle down" for awhile. I transferred my freshman and sophomore years and finally settled on Mizzou. So, now I'm in my second year of teaching and I'm very excited to be staying in this new small town. This will be the first time in seven years that I have not moved. Heck yeah!

The town I live in now is much like my hometown, the people are friendly (I love small towns for this reason), you can walk anywhere, when you run your car off the road there are literally 15 people who stop to help, I could go on and on. The thing it takes awhile to notice is the beliefs and values that people hold. Right off the bat it seems that we hold many of the same values. I love my family, I enjoy having a good time, I'm not really wild, I enjoy going to church - even though I must now admit that I am one of the many who only attend two times a year, I know, shame shame. It took me awhile to really notice how boxed in many of my students are. There are so many who never get out. They stay here on weekends, their families don't vacation, they just don't get exposed to what there is beyond this town, this community. I realize that this isn't always (or necessarily) a bad thing, sometimes it just makes me wonder how much it does affect someone...staying put. Sometimes I wonder how it affected me.

Well, somehow another hour has slipped away and unfortunately I don't know where it went. I'm really hoping that I'll be able to keep up this blog unlike the others. I feel like that was a depressing entry, ouch. And here I am sitting here thinking, "Yes! Tomorrow's Friday!" Ha, it's been a rather long week at the high school. Can you say MAP testing? Oh yeah baby.

Currently Reading: Tangerine