TWO DAYS AGO
Part of an email from my dad. This is one of the many reasons he is awesome:
I realize how upset you are and their attitude does not help at all but this is another case where you have to rise above the fray as you have so many times in your young life. In the grand scheme of what you have experienced this is like a minor pimple on your toe and does not amount to much. I'm not going to sit here and say something stupid like "if it doesn't kill you it ......" because I believe that is a bunch of crap. Whoever came up with that platitude was probably sitting in some ivory tower somewhere.
...
So, think about the new faces you will see in your class in a few days and how you will inspire them with a love of learning which you have always displayed. Think of how proud you will be a few months down the road when you will see how far they have come under your guidance and look at the first graders whom you started on the path to learning last year and I think you will feel better. You are doing exactly what you were born to do right now and in the place where you should be doing it.
YESTERDAY
Chris: hows it going
you had angry away messages up
me: good, i'm exhausted
oh yes
stupid *****
haha
Chris: ah
im sorry
me: it's okay
i just got this crappy email about *****
and i hated the way they phrased everything
Chris: hmm
im sorry that theyre being like that
me: no big deal i guess
Chris: well it just sucks
[more conversation with Chris]
Chris: i see
me: well i told dad
i'm fairly certain i would say something highly inappropriate to ***** right now
so best not to talk to them
6:07 PM
Chris: yeah
probably so
TODAY
Chris: how much coffee have you had
2:07 PM
me: just one
at noon
i will go back and get one before i leave
but that's not till 5
Chris: ha
you just seem hyper
me: oh well probably because my students rock
2:08 PM
not because of caffeine
P.S. Just a reminder. All things in life can be related to Friends. Most things in life can be related to both Friends and HIMYM. So I am off to watch some and hope that I can fall asleep soon.
P.P.S. I wrote this in an email today: "If it makes you feel any better, the only reason I really think I'm less stressed is because last night one of my roommates and I just hung out, watched mindless TV, and I had two drinks and did not think about school. I needed the 2nd one to really stop thinking about school and to sleep without waking up in the middle of the night and to sleep late. Let me point out that two weeks ago I was sleeping till 3 P.M. and up till 4 A.M. each night...I "slept in" till 9 A.M. today. So my conclusion: simply sleep helps, and so does a strong drink."
I am my father's daughter (though I was not drinking vodka on the rocks with bleu cheese olives), but I take my brother's pre-college advice to heart: Don't replace diet coke with Jack. You know you have a problem when you say, "I just need a shot to wake up." So before you start thinking uh-oh Alex needs an intervention (HIMYM reference...), I've had maybe 7 drinks in the past 3 months.
LAST ONE P.P.P.S. I met some students today. I'm beyond stoked for this year. They are AMAZING!!!!!!! Could I *BE* any more excited?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
I have amazing friends...
Please read the entire post below from my friend Ciara who is in Africa. She is doing amazing things, and clearly she is needed greatly.
Words cannot express how difficult these last couple days have been. Where do I even begin?
Pain. First, I guess I will start with the least significant piece of news. As my friends Zep and Nairi were saying their goodbyes to the children and packing up their things for America, I began to feel this horrible pain in my right side. "Hmm...this feels sort of familiar...whatever, I'll be fine." As I often tend to do, I tried to ignore my symptoms and focus on the tasks at hand; holding babies, taking pictures, and saying goodbye to my friends. However, at one point, the pain got so bad that I had to put the kids down and step outside for some air. For approximately the next two hours, the pain was unbearable. I curled up in my bed and hoped it would pass. To make a long story short, I think I had a kidney stone (or infection?). My mom called the doctor and I started taking antibiotics. My side is still a little sore, but I'm not in nearly as much pain as I was the other day. Whew! (Please don't worry about me).
Like I said, my pain is the least of the bad news and horribly insignificant in comparison. Sadly, let me tell you about Neema. Neema is a little girl at the baby home who is about three or four years old. She is absolutely beautiful. Her smile melts your heart and her laugh is outrageously contagious. She came to the baby home about two years ago after suffering some of the most horrible trauma and abuse you could ever imagine. Neema was repeatedly raped by her father. When she first came to the baby home, she was frail, tiny, and in so much pain. Because of her abuse, Neema currently frequently suffers rectal prolapses. Basically, the end of her colon ends up on the outside of her body. She had one surgery a while ago to prevent this from happening again, but like many procedures in Africa, it didn't work.
A few days ago, Neema woke up in the morning in a great deal of pain. The poor little darling walked out of her bedroom with her back hunched over and her little bum in the air. "It hurts," she kept saying while pointing to her nappy (diaper). Her normally joyous face was now scrunched up, wincing with every movement. I held Neema that morning until she fell asleep. Apparently, there's nothing we can do for her and eventually her insides work their way back in again and she goes on with her daily routine.
Luckily, it only took a day for this to happen and Neema is back to her normal, happy self again. But can I take a second and say, "WHAT?! A two-year-old?! Her own father?! How disgusting and cruel do you have to be?" How could anyone ever do such a thing? I was truly heartbroken holding her and watching her have to deal with the consequences of such cruelty. I don't know if I've ever felt more helpless. Precious Neema. Please keep this beautiful little girl in your prayers.
Suffering. I don't know how many of you follow the baby home website, but if you don't, let me tell you about another gorgeous baby, baby George. Georgie is one of those babies who people are drawn to automatically. Not only is he a handsome little thing (a future heart-breaker for sure), but he is almost always full of joy. You will never find George crying just for attention or whining for a different toy, etc. More often, you will find him smiling, eyes twinkling, and full of innocent wonderment.
Lately however, little Georgie (about a year old) definitely has reason to be crying. George was born without an anus and has had a colostomy bag since birth. In hopes of easing current and future difficulties, George has undergone several surgeries in the last year and now has an anus. This is fantastic news for any child, but especially for an orphan in Africa.
Yesterday, George finally came home from the hospital and today I got to spend some time with him. As we looked after him, Erika (another long-term volunteer) and I began to well up with tears. George has had each of his surgeries (all major) without ANY pain medication whatsoever. He has a huge open wound in his side where the colostomy bag has been (now stitched up), and his intestines disconnected and reconnected, a hole carved out between his legs for an anus, and to top it off, he has the worst case of diaper rash I have ever seen. The diaper rash alone is about three square inches of open flesh. He also has a scar from his bellybutton to his ribs from a previous surgery. Imagine, just for a second, the amount of pain this baby has experienced. You can't. It's impossible for us to imagine the kind of pain he is in because we will never know that kind of pain. We have been blessed to live in a country where morphine and vicodin are anywhere and everywhere. You wouldn't even consider surgery unless you KNEW you wouldn't feel a thing. Georgie had his intestines cut apart and sewn together and felt every single second. It's amazing he's still alive.
So as we watched him try to get comfortable and cry with every movement, how can I not ask why? Why does this little, tiny, beautiful baby have to suffer so much? When will it end for him? He deserves a happy, healthy, and long life full of running around, kicking soccer balls, and laughing with friends. Why does this little baby have to suffer like this? Why? Just why?
Horrible Sorrow. So if this wasn't devastating enough for you, I apologize, but what I'm about to write is a million times worse. Yesterday afternoon, five month old Stella passed away. She died. So suddenly. So unexpectedly.
A week ago, Stella was a healthy, happy, and very chubby little girl. She seemed to have no health problems at all. I was on shift in the tiny baby house. Stella was laying on a blanket and began to cry. It was just about time for her feeding, so I picked her up for a bottle. When I picked her up, she was a little floppy; kind of limp. One of the mamas and another volunteer noticed and the mama looked concerned and felt her fead for a fever. We took her temperature. No fever. I fed her the bottle and then held her in the rocking chair for a few hours, watching her carefully. During this time, she began to breathe kind of funny. It was almost like she was wheezing, but it was more like she was making a little noise (like a mix between "peep" and "grunt") with every breath. The mamas made note of it, told the assistant manager, and kept a close eye on her. Two days later, she was in the hospital with what the doctors called pneumonia. She was treated for pneumonia and tested for malaria. No malaria. No fever. No improvement. The next day, they put her on oxygen and Amy demanded she be moved to ICU. There was no room in ICU. That afternoon, she died. Doctors tried for 25 minutes to resuscitate her, but it did not work. Just like that, Stella lost her life.
How could this happen? She was healthy and happy! She was chubby and well-developed, not premature. She literally just died! Died! A five-month-old baby who I was rocking to sleep less than a week ago, died. What?! What?!
Forever Angels has lost five babies in four year, all of whom were premature, days old, and malnourished upon arrival at the baby home. With the other babies, it would have been a miracle if they survived. But who could Stella die? It was so unexpected, so unfair.
All of us at the baby home are truly heartbroken. I cannot even describe the sorrow, the hole in our hearts. Stella was such a beautiful baby whom I will never forget. She has gone from being a blessed baby to truly a forever angel.
I apologize for this depressing update. There's so much more I could write (how life is so unfair and how much we take for granted, especially when it comes to medical care back at home), but I don't know how much more I can bear to think about it all. Please pray for these babies. Please tell other people you know that there are suffering and dying (unnecessarily) babies in Africa (and around the world). Please don't forget them. Don't change the channel when you see a "save the children" commercial. Allow yourself to feel it. Feel the pain for these kids and then act on your empathy. They are helpless. We are not.
Truly heartbroken,
Ciara
P.S. I attended the funeral for Stella today. I haven't cried that hard in a while. All the mamas attended and we mourned the loss of one of our family members. Stella had no parents, no family. We were her family. We loved her so much.
Please keep Stella and all of us at the baby home in your thoughts and prayers
Words cannot express how difficult these last couple days have been. Where do I even begin?
Pain. First, I guess I will start with the least significant piece of news. As my friends Zep and Nairi were saying their goodbyes to the children and packing up their things for America, I began to feel this horrible pain in my right side. "Hmm...this feels sort of familiar...whatever, I'll be fine." As I often tend to do, I tried to ignore my symptoms and focus on the tasks at hand; holding babies, taking pictures, and saying goodbye to my friends. However, at one point, the pain got so bad that I had to put the kids down and step outside for some air. For approximately the next two hours, the pain was unbearable. I curled up in my bed and hoped it would pass. To make a long story short, I think I had a kidney stone (or infection?). My mom called the doctor and I started taking antibiotics. My side is still a little sore, but I'm not in nearly as much pain as I was the other day. Whew! (Please don't worry about me).
Like I said, my pain is the least of the bad news and horribly insignificant in comparison. Sadly, let me tell you about Neema. Neema is a little girl at the baby home who is about three or four years old. She is absolutely beautiful. Her smile melts your heart and her laugh is outrageously contagious. She came to the baby home about two years ago after suffering some of the most horrible trauma and abuse you could ever imagine. Neema was repeatedly raped by her father. When she first came to the baby home, she was frail, tiny, and in so much pain. Because of her abuse, Neema currently frequently suffers rectal prolapses. Basically, the end of her colon ends up on the outside of her body. She had one surgery a while ago to prevent this from happening again, but like many procedures in Africa, it didn't work.
A few days ago, Neema woke up in the morning in a great deal of pain. The poor little darling walked out of her bedroom with her back hunched over and her little bum in the air. "It hurts," she kept saying while pointing to her nappy (diaper). Her normally joyous face was now scrunched up, wincing with every movement. I held Neema that morning until she fell asleep. Apparently, there's nothing we can do for her and eventually her insides work their way back in again and she goes on with her daily routine.
Luckily, it only took a day for this to happen and Neema is back to her normal, happy self again. But can I take a second and say, "WHAT?! A two-year-old?! Her own father?! How disgusting and cruel do you have to be?" How could anyone ever do such a thing? I was truly heartbroken holding her and watching her have to deal with the consequences of such cruelty. I don't know if I've ever felt more helpless. Precious Neema. Please keep this beautiful little girl in your prayers.
Suffering. I don't know how many of you follow the baby home website, but if you don't, let me tell you about another gorgeous baby, baby George. Georgie is one of those babies who people are drawn to automatically. Not only is he a handsome little thing (a future heart-breaker for sure), but he is almost always full of joy. You will never find George crying just for attention or whining for a different toy, etc. More often, you will find him smiling, eyes twinkling, and full of innocent wonderment.
Lately however, little Georgie (about a year old) definitely has reason to be crying. George was born without an anus and has had a colostomy bag since birth. In hopes of easing current and future difficulties, George has undergone several surgeries in the last year and now has an anus. This is fantastic news for any child, but especially for an orphan in Africa.
Yesterday, George finally came home from the hospital and today I got to spend some time with him. As we looked after him, Erika (another long-term volunteer) and I began to well up with tears. George has had each of his surgeries (all major) without ANY pain medication whatsoever. He has a huge open wound in his side where the colostomy bag has been (now stitched up), and his intestines disconnected and reconnected, a hole carved out between his legs for an anus, and to top it off, he has the worst case of diaper rash I have ever seen. The diaper rash alone is about three square inches of open flesh. He also has a scar from his bellybutton to his ribs from a previous surgery. Imagine, just for a second, the amount of pain this baby has experienced. You can't. It's impossible for us to imagine the kind of pain he is in because we will never know that kind of pain. We have been blessed to live in a country where morphine and vicodin are anywhere and everywhere. You wouldn't even consider surgery unless you KNEW you wouldn't feel a thing. Georgie had his intestines cut apart and sewn together and felt every single second. It's amazing he's still alive.
So as we watched him try to get comfortable and cry with every movement, how can I not ask why? Why does this little, tiny, beautiful baby have to suffer so much? When will it end for him? He deserves a happy, healthy, and long life full of running around, kicking soccer balls, and laughing with friends. Why does this little baby have to suffer like this? Why? Just why?
Horrible Sorrow. So if this wasn't devastating enough for you, I apologize, but what I'm about to write is a million times worse. Yesterday afternoon, five month old Stella passed away. She died. So suddenly. So unexpectedly.
A week ago, Stella was a healthy, happy, and very chubby little girl. She seemed to have no health problems at all. I was on shift in the tiny baby house. Stella was laying on a blanket and began to cry. It was just about time for her feeding, so I picked her up for a bottle. When I picked her up, she was a little floppy; kind of limp. One of the mamas and another volunteer noticed and the mama looked concerned and felt her fead for a fever. We took her temperature. No fever. I fed her the bottle and then held her in the rocking chair for a few hours, watching her carefully. During this time, she began to breathe kind of funny. It was almost like she was wheezing, but it was more like she was making a little noise (like a mix between "peep" and "grunt") with every breath. The mamas made note of it, told the assistant manager, and kept a close eye on her. Two days later, she was in the hospital with what the doctors called pneumonia. She was treated for pneumonia and tested for malaria. No malaria. No fever. No improvement. The next day, they put her on oxygen and Amy demanded she be moved to ICU. There was no room in ICU. That afternoon, she died. Doctors tried for 25 minutes to resuscitate her, but it did not work. Just like that, Stella lost her life.
How could this happen? She was healthy and happy! She was chubby and well-developed, not premature. She literally just died! Died! A five-month-old baby who I was rocking to sleep less than a week ago, died. What?! What?!
Forever Angels has lost five babies in four year, all of whom were premature, days old, and malnourished upon arrival at the baby home. With the other babies, it would have been a miracle if they survived. But who could Stella die? It was so unexpected, so unfair.
All of us at the baby home are truly heartbroken. I cannot even describe the sorrow, the hole in our hearts. Stella was such a beautiful baby whom I will never forget. She has gone from being a blessed baby to truly a forever angel.
I apologize for this depressing update. There's so much more I could write (how life is so unfair and how much we take for granted, especially when it comes to medical care back at home), but I don't know how much more I can bear to think about it all. Please pray for these babies. Please tell other people you know that there are suffering and dying (unnecessarily) babies in Africa (and around the world). Please don't forget them. Don't change the channel when you see a "save the children" commercial. Allow yourself to feel it. Feel the pain for these kids and then act on your empathy. They are helpless. We are not.
Truly heartbroken,
Ciara
P.S. I attended the funeral for Stella today. I haven't cried that hard in a while. All the mamas attended and we mourned the loss of one of our family members. Stella had no parents, no family. We were her family. We loved her so much.
Please keep Stella and all of us at the baby home in your thoughts and prayers
Friday, August 13, 2010
Dear Education Gap, I hate you.
Have you ever gotten that achy, awful feeling in your stomach about something? Well, that's how I feel when I think about the education gap. Lately, it (it being education inequity, my students, the students in my district, the schools I grew up in, education in general) has been on my mind. How could it not be? I start teaching in just a week and a half.
...and I'm filled with this awful feeling in my stomach. Very few feelings compare. I think I actually felt more optimistic about being sick. I'm not kidding. I really truly wish I was.
Let me explain. Here's how the whole cancer thing worked for me.
December 1, 2006--Doctor: "You need to have chemo and to start in about 2.5 weeks...do you have any questions?" me: "Do I have cancer? Doctor: "No one told you?"
I went home. I made a to do list. I wrote D next to things my dad needed to do, A next to things I needed to do. I made phone calls, many of them. I cried, yes, but I went into Alex-crisis mode. There was a problem, and I was going to solve it by having snacks on hand (helps with all the meds) and learning everything I could about the problem a.k.a. cancer.
Later that day--phone call from the doctor: "We got your blood tests results back. We need to start chemo Monday."
Then, I did everything in fast-forward speed. I had two days. I stopped by the Y to see my boss; we picked up medicines; I had a picc-line put in my arm (if anyone ever tells you it's painless, I assure that person is lying). To do list=completed.
December 3, 2006--Day 1 of chemo.
December 25, 2006--Finally let my hair fall out. (No really, I didn't wash it for a couple days so I could make it through Christmas with hair.)
December 27, 2006--20th birthday. Cupcakes at the hospital. Baldness. Super fun. (I really need to invent sarcastic marks.)
January 29, 2007--Last day of chemo. Amazingness.
January 29, 2008--Celebrate one year of great health with tequila and margaritas and friends.
January 29, 2009--Celebrate two years of great health with friends and a tequila sunrise (see the pattern?).
January 29, 2010--Celebrate three years of great health with chinese food and margaritas and my puppy.
...Cancer was "simple." There was a problem, and I created a solution. Granted my solution doesn't guarantee good health, but my solution was: do as much as I can to make things better.
Now, let's go back to education inequity. A GLARING problem. Yet my to do list skills are failing me. I am wondering: What is my way of dealing with this problem? HOW do I fight it?
Cancer I could accept. I hated it, but I could accept it. Nothing could have prevented it, nothing could have made it go away.
Children not all receiving amazing educations? I can't accept that. I hate it, and I can't accept it. This problem SHOULD have been prevented, and something CAN make it go away. I'm not sure though, what is the right "something" to make it go away. I hate that. I hate IT.
And now I'll go to sleep with a knot in my stomach, this achy feeling reminding me how much I am bothered by this problem and wondering how I will be a part of the solution.
...and I'm filled with this awful feeling in my stomach. Very few feelings compare. I think I actually felt more optimistic about being sick. I'm not kidding. I really truly wish I was.
Let me explain. Here's how the whole cancer thing worked for me.
December 1, 2006--Doctor: "You need to have chemo and to start in about 2.5 weeks...do you have any questions?" me: "Do I have cancer? Doctor: "No one told you?"
I went home. I made a to do list. I wrote D next to things my dad needed to do, A next to things I needed to do. I made phone calls, many of them. I cried, yes, but I went into Alex-crisis mode. There was a problem, and I was going to solve it by having snacks on hand (helps with all the meds) and learning everything I could about the problem a.k.a. cancer.
Later that day--phone call from the doctor: "We got your blood tests results back. We need to start chemo Monday."
Then, I did everything in fast-forward speed. I had two days. I stopped by the Y to see my boss; we picked up medicines; I had a picc-line put in my arm (if anyone ever tells you it's painless, I assure that person is lying). To do list=completed.
December 3, 2006--Day 1 of chemo.
December 25, 2006--Finally let my hair fall out. (No really, I didn't wash it for a couple days so I could make it through Christmas with hair.)
December 27, 2006--20th birthday. Cupcakes at the hospital. Baldness. Super fun. (I really need to invent sarcastic marks.)
January 29, 2007--Last day of chemo. Amazingness.
January 29, 2008--Celebrate one year of great health with tequila and margaritas and friends.
January 29, 2009--Celebrate two years of great health with friends and a tequila sunrise (see the pattern?).
January 29, 2010--Celebrate three years of great health with chinese food and margaritas and my puppy.
...Cancer was "simple." There was a problem, and I created a solution. Granted my solution doesn't guarantee good health, but my solution was: do as much as I can to make things better.
Now, let's go back to education inequity. A GLARING problem. Yet my to do list skills are failing me. I am wondering: What is my way of dealing with this problem? HOW do I fight it?
Cancer I could accept. I hated it, but I could accept it. Nothing could have prevented it, nothing could have made it go away.
Children not all receiving amazing educations? I can't accept that. I hate it, and I can't accept it. This problem SHOULD have been prevented, and something CAN make it go away. I'm not sure though, what is the right "something" to make it go away. I hate that. I hate IT.
And now I'll go to sleep with a knot in my stomach, this achy feeling reminding me how much I am bothered by this problem and wondering how I will be a part of the solution.
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Spring Break for an Undergrad...
This email to my dad from college borders on ridiculous. It was titled "Spring Break appts":
Sunday: Fly home
Monday: 2:30 Dr. Colis (I need you to drive me because I have to get those drops put in my eyes)
Tuesday: 11:40 Dr. Block, 1:00 Thyroid Ultrasound
Wednesday: 10:30 Gardisil shot, 11:20 Dr. Hurteau, 1:00 P.M. Haircut with Cassandra
Thursday: Hooray! Nothing!
Friday: Fly back to LA
Clearly, that "vacation" was awesome.
P.S. I cannot wait to purchase Simply Sleep. I officially hate the hour of 4 to 5 A.M.
P.P.S. Question: How do you abbreviate time? A.M.? AM? a.m.? am?
Sunday: Fly home
Monday: 2:30 Dr. Colis (I need you to drive me because I have to get those drops put in my eyes)
Tuesday: 11:40 Dr. Block, 1:00 Thyroid Ultrasound
Wednesday: 10:30 Gardisil shot, 11:20 Dr. Hurteau, 1:00 P.M. Haircut with Cassandra
Thursday: Hooray! Nothing!
Friday: Fly back to LA
Clearly, that "vacation" was awesome.
P.S. I cannot wait to purchase Simply Sleep. I officially hate the hour of 4 to 5 A.M.
P.P.S. Question: How do you abbreviate time? A.M.? AM? a.m.? am?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
"I mean, I think you're past the point of 'What does not kill you makes you stronger.'" -Kat
Thanks, Kat. I agree. I have some awesome friends. If only I didn't have to revert to cliches and quotes to remind myself that a current icky situation I find myself in is just a little bump in the road. Seriously, a legit little bump when compared with things like cancer and Alzheimer's. However, I sometimes wish I didn't have the perspective that comes with chemo and a more-than forgetful mother. Really. In fact, right about now, I would very much so like to be in Lake Forest, scar-less, watching Nelson Schmelson with my entire family, which would include a mom who knows who I am.
Wow. Gray cloud overhead. I'm having a grumpy night.
So, again, because I clearly need it, 10 blessings in my life:
1. I am teaching A.M. Kindergarten! I just found out today--and so this means I get to eat lunch with Laurie and perhaps see Kristen more this year!
2. My dad is awesome. He's sounded extra tired lately on the phone, but he is awesome. He lets me vent about stupid things (see above) without following up with stupid cliches. Oddly enough, without saying it, he reminds me that really, it could be worse.
3. I am highly amused by my conversations with my brother. Especially one today where for whatever reason I told him what I was doing despite the fact that he did not ask. I'm in dire need of Simply Sleep. (I think it will be one of my first purchases when I'm all moved into my new place.)
4. Holly came over today, and we literally sat on the floor (I've been couchless for a couple weeks now), ate Chipotle, and chatted. She is great. Even better, she brought me Funfetti cookies. Awesome friend.
5. Um, Kat? We talked for over an hour tonight. I don't even have words for how great she is. Well, I have words, but they're not adequate. They won't explain or show you how much I appreciate her and her friendship.
6. Chloe. Yes, I'm thankful and blessed by my 5-pound dog. I can't help it. She's a riot. I like to think she's smart, because she's a poodle...but I also wonder after watching her play with a toy for over an hour hoping she can get a treat out whether or not she is that smart.
7. God. Okay, don't get me wrong. I suck at going to church. And praying. And many other things related to my relationship with God. In fact, I'm basically failing here. However, in good times and in bad times, it at least comforts me that perhaps one day I will be able to be better about going to church...and praying...and I know that I can only do those things with God.
8. Diet coke. Oh a blessing and a curse. Curse: I'm addicted, I'm up at 4 A.M., I cannot sleep regular hours to save my life. In addition, I may or may not be filled with formaldehyde (I hear aspartame turns into formaldehyde...perhaps not best for me to be drinking it). Blessing? Terrible sleep patterns=excellent planning time. I can't run errands in the middle of the night so I pop in a disc of Friends or HIMYM and plan away.
9. KIND CAMPAIGN. Gosh. Molly and Lauren are doing a-ma-zing things with it. I'm just SO blessed to know them and to get to spread the word about something so clearly needed. BE KIND.
10. My classroom theme. Okay, so this is not as grand a blessing as say wonderful health (#11 if I were continuing with my list), but I am getting so excited to take my students on a Learning Safari this year. Yup! That's my theme! To celebrate, I even had a dance party today in my apartment to some of the songs on the Lion King soundtrack. You know I'm cool.
...And already, I am feeling better. I have brief moments where I almost feel myself getting angry or upset, but I realize those two emotions accomplish nothing in this situation. That's not to say I'm immune to those feelings (believe me, they're present, especially right now), but I'm just doing my best to choose other ways to respond to this. One such way that has proved successful? Dance party. Now you know why I teach kindergarten.
P.S. Check out my new blog about all things related to teaching: The Teacher Diaries.
P.P.S. Today, a facebook friend had the following as her status:"5 years in the clear confirmed today! God is good!" This is a friend of Chris' and also fortunately someone who is great enough to be my facebook friend...and she found out she is 5 years in the clear from cancer! I forgot to mention she's only around 28 years old I believe. When I was sick (oh how ridiculous and dismal that sounds), she reached out to me, and in the few times I've seen her, she is just a wonderful person. How WONDERFUL for her to celebrate this day. I hope I know the excitement that comes with this news in just a few years.
Wow. Gray cloud overhead. I'm having a grumpy night.
So, again, because I clearly need it, 10 blessings in my life:
1. I am teaching A.M. Kindergarten! I just found out today--and so this means I get to eat lunch with Laurie and perhaps see Kristen more this year!
2. My dad is awesome. He's sounded extra tired lately on the phone, but he is awesome. He lets me vent about stupid things (see above) without following up with stupid cliches. Oddly enough, without saying it, he reminds me that really, it could be worse.
3. I am highly amused by my conversations with my brother. Especially one today where for whatever reason I told him what I was doing despite the fact that he did not ask. I'm in dire need of Simply Sleep. (I think it will be one of my first purchases when I'm all moved into my new place.)
4. Holly came over today, and we literally sat on the floor (I've been couchless for a couple weeks now), ate Chipotle, and chatted. She is great. Even better, she brought me Funfetti cookies. Awesome friend.
5. Um, Kat? We talked for over an hour tonight. I don't even have words for how great she is. Well, I have words, but they're not adequate. They won't explain or show you how much I appreciate her and her friendship.
6. Chloe. Yes, I'm thankful and blessed by my 5-pound dog. I can't help it. She's a riot. I like to think she's smart, because she's a poodle...but I also wonder after watching her play with a toy for over an hour hoping she can get a treat out whether or not she is that smart.
7. God. Okay, don't get me wrong. I suck at going to church. And praying. And many other things related to my relationship with God. In fact, I'm basically failing here. However, in good times and in bad times, it at least comforts me that perhaps one day I will be able to be better about going to church...and praying...and I know that I can only do those things with God.
8. Diet coke. Oh a blessing and a curse. Curse: I'm addicted, I'm up at 4 A.M., I cannot sleep regular hours to save my life. In addition, I may or may not be filled with formaldehyde (I hear aspartame turns into formaldehyde...perhaps not best for me to be drinking it). Blessing? Terrible sleep patterns=excellent planning time. I can't run errands in the middle of the night so I pop in a disc of Friends or HIMYM and plan away.
9. KIND CAMPAIGN. Gosh. Molly and Lauren are doing a-ma-zing things with it. I'm just SO blessed to know them and to get to spread the word about something so clearly needed. BE KIND.
10. My classroom theme. Okay, so this is not as grand a blessing as say wonderful health (#11 if I were continuing with my list), but I am getting so excited to take my students on a Learning Safari this year. Yup! That's my theme! To celebrate, I even had a dance party today in my apartment to some of the songs on the Lion King soundtrack. You know I'm cool.
...And already, I am feeling better. I have brief moments where I almost feel myself getting angry or upset, but I realize those two emotions accomplish nothing in this situation. That's not to say I'm immune to those feelings (believe me, they're present, especially right now), but I'm just doing my best to choose other ways to respond to this. One such way that has proved successful? Dance party. Now you know why I teach kindergarten.
P.S. Check out my new blog about all things related to teaching: The Teacher Diaries.
P.P.S. Today, a facebook friend had the following as her status:"5 years in the clear confirmed today! God is good!" This is a friend of Chris' and also fortunately someone who is great enough to be my facebook friend...and she found out she is 5 years in the clear from cancer! I forgot to mention she's only around 28 years old I believe. When I was sick (oh how ridiculous and dismal that sounds), she reached out to me, and in the few times I've seen her, she is just a wonderful person. How WONDERFUL for her to celebrate this day. I hope I know the excitement that comes with this news in just a few years.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Help make the world a KINDer place!
I'm writing to ask you to support some amazing Pepperdine graduates (and friends of mine), Molly Stroud and Lauren Parsekian, who are the founders of Kind Campaign by voting for them to win a grant from the Pepsi Refresh Everything Project! If they win the grant, they can offer assemblies at schools, just like mine, for FREE!
Kind Campaign is: A movement and documentary, based upon the powerful belief in KINDness, that brings awareness and healing to the negative and lasting effects of girl-against-girl "crime".
The founders, Molly and Lauren, are doing absolutely amazing things with this campaign, and with the grant money they will be able to finish their film, fund their Fall KC school assembly tour, start Kind Clubs, and offer their national program FREE OF CHARGE to schools. Your votes can help bring a phenomenal program to us!
Check out their website for more info: www.kindcampaign.com, and PLEASE VOTE! You can vote twice a day every day for the month of August--once on your computer and once from your phone! Take 5 seconds to vote: visit http://www.refresheverything.com/kindcampaign, and text 101818 to Pepsi (73774) to vote by phone!
Thanks in advance for taking the time to support a wonderful program (and passing this on to your family and friends)!
Check out the Finding Kind trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woZTiMgWYDo and two previous posts where I mention KC:
I'm just really happy! :)
Kind Campaign...in the New York Times!
