2012 Resolutions

I will attempt to track these goals throughout the year. I'm really hoping that being unemployed at the moment will help me stick to these better then previous years.

1. Lose weight (Start eating more fruits and vegetables, start exercising more, etc.)

2. Plan a wedding without losing my mind!

3. Develop a cleaning plan and stick with it.

4. Find at least a part-time job in an education-related field.

5. Create a budget to start paying back credit card debt, student loan debt, and put away money for the wedding. (Currently, I have about $1000 in credit card debt which came from getting wisdom teeth out, getting stitches after cutting my hand open, and visiting the doctor in an unsuccessful attempt to figure out why I kept getting sick. I also have $60,000 in student loans that will need to start getting paid off in June 2011)

6. Continue my education on my own by reading through works both in and out of the literary canon and on subjects that interest me. Try for one to two books a week.

A look back at 2010

2010 has been a year that changed my life. So I'll take a look back.

January-Celebrated one year anniversary with Keagle, started my last sememster of classes in college

February-Discovered where I'd be student teaching and looked at housing in the Twin Cities, Keagle turned 24

March-Keagle started work as "The Head of North American Tech Support" for a smaller company

April-My sister turned 15 and got her permit, scary!

May-I took the last finals of my college career, moved into our awesome townhouse!

June-I turned 22 :), I watched the office while Keagle and his co-workers went to Germany and Switzerland, I started nannying the two most adorable children ever! (More stories about them to come!)

July-My best friend got married to her high school sweetheart

August-I started student teaching in a kindergarten classroom

September-Still busy student teaching!!

October-More student teaching, my last day was the Halloween party and we all came as different types of fish, My brother turned 19

November-I moved to student teaching in a 9th grade English class, which was quite the transition! We spent Thanksgiving with my family

December-I finish student teaching and graduated college with two degrees without walking at the ceremony, we recieved 21 inches of snow in a couple of days and have since broken the December snow record, Keagle and I become engaged on Christmas Eve :)

Here's hoping that 2011 is just as great of a year, if not better!

Christmas is over

Our Christmas tree and Christmas village. The living room will look so bare without it!

Well, Christmas is over and done with. I love everything about Christmas: the songs, the snow, the tree, etc. Now we're in that sad time where the tree and decorations will have to be taken down. But I'm just not ready! I convinced Keagle to let me keep it up until New Years. Then we'll have to store it somewhere...

Starting over with a new blog

I previously had a blog that I didn't keep up with. I did import that blog, so you can read back.

Here is an update on my life so far:

1) Graduated with 2 education degrees. I will be licensed to teach K-12 with an emphasis in English.
2) I just got engaged to Keagle (the boy, not his real name haha) on Christmas Eve.
3) I have realized that I graduated into a very unfriendly economy. So for the time being, I am unemployed.

I'm hoping I can actually keep up on this blog. I need somewhere to gush about wedding plans.

Time flies when you are watching two kids!

It has been two months since I've written a post, AAAAAHHH! My life has been full of two things: Bella and Derek. They are the cutest 6 and 3 year olds you'll ever meet! I have a week and a half left of nannying and I am going to miss them so much! I figure I'll make a list of things I love and that I'll miss about this summer.

1. Insightful conversations about things like if everything in the world turned blue and why we have two pipes stemming from our mouth.
2. Repeating everything Bella wants me to say to keep her happy.
3. Being the mom/sister/momma puppy of the imaginary family of the day.
4. Pushing Derek on his bike because he refuses to pedal.
5. Watching Phineas and Ferb every morning.
6. Cuddling with Derek while we watch movies.
7. Taking a multitude of pictures of things like dolls and the dog: Fozzie Bear.
8. Going with the kiddos to places where they are in such awe and having so much fun that they can't even pose for pictures!
9. Installing rules like "No squeezing juiceboxes!" and my #1 rule: "No getting hurt" (Bella doesn't think that is a real rule though)
10. Introducing the kids to the Beatles and having them enjoy it.
11. Having the most consistently well-behaved kids at library storytime.
12. Laughing when I have to keep telling Derek that he can't whistle in the library or run and skip in McDonalds.
13. Hearing the on a day I wasn't there, Derek kept insisting he would wait to eat breakfast until I got there.
14. Having Bella enjoy her summer so much that she didn't remember her favorite teacher at school.
15. Trying my hardest to put off using the Easy Bake Oven as long as I can!
16. Convincing the little nudist to put on clothes even though he'd rather have me bascially wrestle him into them.
17. Driving with the kiddos to a fun place.
18. Loving all of their quirks and being so excited to spend all of next summer with them also!

I start student teaching on the 30th and I hope I'll have more time to post on here!

Holding down the fort

Andrew officially works for the best company ever. He is spending this week in Germany and Switzerland with the whole company. I, in the meantime, am watching the office. So far, it is been pretty boring. They let their customers know they would be gone, so I didn't have to handle any phone calls.

The townhouse is all put together, for the most part. I still have wants, but I like what I have right now. I am having my friend Allison over for dinner tomorrow and I am hosting a couples night in two weeks. I am excited to finally be settled in up here!

Updates

Alright, so I have been a bad blogger, but here is what has been happening in my life. I finished up my last classes and passed them all. (I would've been very surprised if I didn't pass because I have never actually failed a class!) I have taken and passed 3 out of 4 of my Praxis tests, which are to get my teaching license.

I packed up all of my stuff and moved it 2 hours away using only a Saturn. I have moved into my townhouse and I LOVE it! We have officially put almost everything away. We got a new couch delivered and it is super comfy. Andrew and I have started taking a nightly walk. We live in a great area next to a park and it is fun to explore!

I have started working at Andrew's company. I do data entry, odd jobs, and eventually secratary work while everyone else is in Switzerland. Starting in July, I'll be a nanny. I watched a marathon of "Hoarders" on Memorial Day and became interested in becoming a professional organizer, but we'll see how that goes.

I have met with one of my teachers for student teaching and have become very excited to start! Even though I'll be student teaching for four months, just looking at the calendar looks like it will be no time at all. After student teaching, I have NO idea what I am going to end up doing!

Today I am planning on exploring the Oakdale library after work. I have a list of organization books I'd like to pick up to explore this new-found hobby. This weekend my little bro-bro graduates from high school, so tomorrow my grandparents are picking me up and bringing me down home. I'll spend Friday (otherwise known as my birthday) cleaning the house for Mason's grad party and attending a very warm and long graduation ceremony. Oh well, it'll be nice to be at home for a little bit!

Classes are done!

Well, I am done with classes. I had my last final this morning and my first freak-out this afternoon. Now that I am done with classes, I don't know where I am going. As much as I love children and teaching, I am restless. I don't know if that is what I want to do for the rest of my life.

I am really good at being a student, like really good. I am great at studying and memorizing. I write papers in a matter of mere hours. I have a great GPA. I test like it is my job. And I am good at my job.

But now, it is all done. And I don't know what I am doing. Especially because I have discovered that I pretty much can't pay off my student loans in less then 10 years. So I have two degrees that I am not sure I want to use, $60,000 in loans, and a want to start a family in not too long. What is a girl to do?

One week and Counting...

I have one week of classes. That means 9 class times. Then 1 final and 1 meeting. Then I am done with this part of college. It is weird how these things wind down. My brother is graduating from high school this summer and I feel like I am in the same position, just more mature. I remember thinking that the world was changing so much and I didn't know what to do. Now, I'm in the groove of college, but that is ending too. I think this system is a good thing. I think you shouldn't live your life so monotonously.

Change is good. I am embracing it. I even cut about 8 inches off of my hair yesterday. I figured since I was changing my "job", my area of living, my living situation, and my summer job, I might as well change how I look too!

I just wonder where the time has gone. I still remember when I moved into college. That first day was scary! My mom and siblings dropped me off and I felt lost. I didn't know anyone at this school. Thankfully, my roommate and I got along really well. I enjoy the freedom I have gained and I hope to gain even more with this life change.

And just so everyone knows, I have 1 week and finals week left and I STILL don't know where part of my student teaching placement will be. Hopefully I will know soon!

Changes...I want to turn to face the sun

I am restless, listless, a titch depressed and want a change. Soon, my whole life will be overhauled. And I can't wait for that. In less then a month, I will be done with school, moving to a place where I'll have limited connections, and finally have adult responsibilities.

I have been in school ever since I can remember. And I like it. I am good at school, I am a good student. I excel in most subjects, I test well and I am a dream student. But it is a comfort zone for me. I feel too comfortable soaking in knowledge and then divulging it into a paper or test. Starting in the fall, I will be student teaching. I will be on the other side of the desk. It is nerve wracking, scary, exciting, and exhilirating.

I have never really had my own space. After living with my parents, I moved into a dorm, and then 3 seperate rented apartments that I shared with others. I have never really gotten to decorate it how I want to. I've never been able to have a completely clean place.

I don't have a lot of friends in Winona. Now, don't think this is me being sad, I tend to hang with a small, select group of people instead of having a ton of friends. But I am excited to branch out somewhere new and find new people. The place that I am moving is far away from people I know. I will be living with Andrew, but other then that, my family will be 3 hours away along with my best friends. I will be forced to find new friends and I hope they will be life-long friends.

Even though I'm in college, I am still not really an adult. I mean, I have some responsibilities, but soon I will be liable for everything: cleaning the apartment, keeping the car in good shape, paying all of the bills, setting up my own doctor's appointments, etc. While there is a part of me that is scared, I also think I am ready.

I know not many people read this, but to whoever is reading, I hope that you are living vicariously through me. I will be blogging every step of my thrilling adventure.

4 weeks and counting

I officially have 4 weeks and then finals until I am out of the class part of my college education. On one hand, I am WAHOOOOing inside. On the other I am dreading all of the things that I need to accomplish in that amount of time.

I have decided that I will really miss being a college student. I love learning and exploring. I know that I can continue doing those things, but it will be at a different capacity. I wish I could go from college student to stay-at-home girlfriend, but Andrew didn't think that was a good idea. (Haha)

It is supposed to rain tomorrow and I am kind of pumped. I love it when it rains, granted I don't have to go anywhere in it. I plan on spending my rainy day watching Netflix and doing homework, namely: 1) finishing a lesson plan on advertising appeals that I have to teach soon, 2) putting my English portfolio together, and 3) writing a paper about my philosophy about teaching middle school. I bet you are all very jealous of my life!

Easter was good. Andrew and I weren't able to spend time with his grandma because he didn't feel good, but we went and visited my family. We played Mexican Train and had a grand old time.

Now, I should probably get back to listening to my teacher. He is rambling about a unit plan we have to write in groups.

The Slide to the End

I officially have 5 weeks and finals left until I am all done with classes...forever! In one sense, I just want everything to be done. I am over papers, reading articles, writing lesson plans, putting portfolios together and group projects. In another sense, I have to buckle down and make sure my senioritis doesn't affect all of the big projects I have due soon.

I have come to the realization that I don't really know what to do with my life after student teaching. There isn't a huge calling for teachers, so I'm worried about finding a job and having to be an adult. I guess it is just something I will take one step at a time.

This weekend Andrew and I toured the townhouse we'll be moving into in a month and a half and we bought a giant comfy sofa! That is the part of growing up that I enjoy. I will finally have a place of my own that I can decorate. No more second-hand 70's flowered couches and random chairs from our parent's basement. No more sleeping on the floor (I don't have a bed). No more cleaning up after anyone except Andrew, who I can yell at if need be haha. I can finally have a cool place of my (and Andrew's) own!

Back to Reality!

Well, I am finishing up my first Monday back from Spring Break and I am proud to say that I have accomplished a lot! Today I did a lot of cleaning and homework.

The best part of my day, however, was that Andrew put us down for a townhome for next year! Tt is so great that I'll finally have an "adult" house to decorate and not just a dorm room or college apartment! It will also be a good place to come home to after a tough day of student teaching!

So I have 7 weeks before this semester ends. I feel very refreshed after spring break. I feel like I have a fresh start for these difficult weeks ahead! Hopefully I can continue to work on the numerous unit plans, portfolios, and papers I have due!

Spring Break

While many of my fellow schoolmates are having exciting breaks from school in warm places, I am back in my home town at my parent's house. I will spend the week doing homework and having fun with my brother at the state hockey tournament! I have a large list of things to do. Not including smaller assignments, I have:
1) A book file for my Children's Literature class
2) A unit plan for a Speech class
3) A middle school education philosophy paper
4) A large paper about diversity in education
5) An online portfolio for my education program
6) A paper portfolio for my English program.

I have eight weeks until I am done with the semester and college classes, at least this time! The real question is, will I be able to finish all of this stuff before that? I certainly hope so...

I am the Worst Blogger Ever!

I haven't written in forever, but it is because nothing is really happening to me! As far as school is concerned, all of my classes are going fine and dandy! I am working on 2 portfolios, one for the English part of my degree and one for the Education part. It isn't the funnest thing to do and I'll be glad when I have them all turned in!

My application to graduate has been accepted and I have turned in all my paperwork for Student Teaching. Now, we wait......

As far as anything else, Andrew has FINALLY figured out why he has been so sick. Now we can finally start treating it! I'm just glad that we have an answer!

I have also realized how much extra stuff I have around and have made it my personal goal to declutter as much as possible before I move again! I inherited being a packrat from my mother and I tend to form emotional attachments with all of my belongings, so getting rid of them is almost physically painful!I had a great day yesterday going through a lot of my stuff. So, wish me luck as I continue to declutter!

School, how is school?

School is...busy. I'm taking less credits then last semester, but I seem to be way busier! For one thing, student teaching preparations are taking over my life! Between interviews, meetings, writing a resume and autobiography and just plain stressing over it, I don't have a lot of time left over.

The good news is that I found out I can student teach for both of my majors in just one semester! Most likely, even in one school district! Yay!

The bad news is that it is a lot of work to get ready for student teaching! Like I said, I have meetings and interviews and all of this stuff to work on!

Other then that, school hasn't been too bad; just a bit difficult without having a car! Oh well...back to my resume and autobiography!

First Day of School

I experienced my last "first day of school" of my college career yesterday. It was a long one! I had 3 morning classes and then a night class. I think this semester will be easier and go by faster then last semester, so that is nice!

My biggest problem right now is being utterly bored because of a lack of things to do! I'm almost hoping for some easy homework just so that I don't just sit around anymore!

This morning I had my "Teaching Elementary Physical Education" class. We ran around and played games in the gym. I have to say, after sitting around all of break, that hour winded me and made my legs a bit sore! Oh well, I need some exercise!

Break is almost over...

So, I start school tomorrow. For some reason, I am really dreading it! I was surprised tonight when I wasn't very excited! I guess I'll just have to see how tomorrow goes and figure it out from there...

Bad day...

So, I had a bad day not too long ago. The biggest thing was my car breaking down. When I say breaking down, I mean it is now scrap metal. It was no longer driveable. So for now, I am stuck with no car. This is really bad because I use my car to visit Andrew, my family, run errands, and get to teaching opportunities. It officially blows!

Andrew came to get me that night to bring me to the Cities. When we got there, I realized that something had been sitting on top of my bag and it had sprayed an entire can of hairspray out, getting all over a lot of my clothes.

We all have days like these. I got over it thankfully!

School is starting soon

So, school starts on Monday. Am I excited? Yes and no...

Yes: I have been doing absolutely nothing for an entire month. I am ready for something to do! I am also anxious because this is my last semester of classes. I don't want to be an adult and get a job! So I will enjoy this while it lasts!

No: Going back to school means back to big projects, papers, and lesson plans. It is hard to go back to school knowing all the work that is ahead of me. Going back to school also means I have less freedom. It is nice to get up, make breakfast, watch Sesame Street and then do whatever I choose during the day!

Oh well, Monday is coming...

Nothing is happening

So, I haven't written in a while, but that would be because I have done almost nothing! I spent three days at a hockey tournament for my brother. They ended up as consolation champs and they played awesome! Then I headed up to see Andrew. We FINALLY got to have Christmas! His parents bought me some really great gifts.

Andrew got me tickets to "The Beauty and the Beast" at the Ordway theater. It was amazing! I have loved that movie ever since I was little, so seeing it on stage was amazing! I'm always so glad that I have an awesome boyfriend who knows exactly what to get me for Christmas!

Now I'm back at home with one more week to bum around and hang out. Right now, it is -15 degrees outside and actually, growing up in Minnesota, it isn't that bad because there is no wind right now! But it doesn't mean I'm going to make a trip outside anytime soon!