Another year in review...

I was perusing my Facebook profile, and saw the link to my blog.  Well, then I had to reread what I had posted so long ago.  I had not realized it had been almost a year since I last made a post on this thing.  Sorry to those who care to read into my deep, dark (often disturbing) secrets.  In my defense, the last year has been super busy!  I look back, and I am so relieved to have made it this far and through everything: 2nd year of teaching, Master's degree program, sponsoring cheer (almost done with that), and more.

Reina has also grown so much over the last year.  She is so curious... precocious is used often to describe her.

Not much else has changed...  Not sure if that is good. Or just sad.  :D

I can only be vague to you...

I just want to shout.  Scream loud and holler!  So many emotions and things to do right now.  So many questions to ask, but I can't.  I have decided that I am a very analytical person.  Too analytical!!!  I wish I could just relax and enjoy life.  I also wish I could be bold without regrets.  If this were me, I would just walk up to people and voice my opinion or whatever.  Why not?  Why can't I do this?  Because I WILL make a fool of myself.  I will embarrass myself and then have to crawl up under a rock.  There would also be too many witnesses.  There are always be watching, which means I have to be extra careful.  Too many people judging me.  Too many people thinking I should do certain things in certain ways.  You may be thinking, "What are you talking about, Liz?"  Well, one of the allusive things would be the judgmental people thinking I should not spank my daughter.  I would like to say to them, "I am not spanking your child.  Better yet, I am not spanking you!"  I mean, seriously, what does it really matter to you how I raise my child. It does not effect how you live.  In fact, it helps you better listen in church.  So don't judge.  You are not God.  No, that is not the ONLY thing I am hinting at here, but that is all I am going to tell you.  Mainly because I want to type this out.  It helps me to get my feelings and stuff out on paper.  Yes, that is part of why I am an English teacher.  I did not enjoy writing until later in life.  Ya know, middle age.  :)  There are so many things I want to get off my chest and say or scream, but, alas, I will not.  Mainly because I just said alas.  Also because I am a stupid, stupid girl.  I should probably erase all of this babbling.  However, I am just a few seconds away from pushing Publish Post because it would defeat the purpose of typing all of this if I did not push the button.

Year 2 of being an Educator

Today I went to sign my teaching contract for next school year.  Mr. Williams (the principal) said, "Hey, Ms. Prince." as I passed his office.  Then, "Oh, Ms. Prince, don't leave after seeing Mrs. Fox.  I need to talk to you."  "OK!" was my response.  Inside, "Oh no!!!"  I was so scared that he was going to give me some bad news.  I could not imagine what since the worst thing would be, "You're fired!"  I knew that was not it since I was told to see Mrs. Fox first.  Oh, Mrs. Fox is the bookkeeper; she had our contracts.  Anyways, I signed four copies of my contract and tried on the new staff shirt.  I told her my size, and by that time Mr. Williams was sitting in Mrs. Fox's office.  He was talking so I waited for him to finish, and just as I was about to say, "You needed to see me?"   He said, "Oh, yeah.  Um... next year, you are going to teach AP Reading."  I was blown away!!!  I was speechless, flattered, highly complemented.  I just said, "Okay!" in an excited manner.  He continued to tell me that a training meeting would be held in July, like the 17th or 20-something.  I said, "I hope it's the 20-something because I just booked a flight to Idaho to see my sisters."  He ended up getting up and going to his computer to check his email.  Turns out, the training is on July 19.  I will be on a plane home that day!  Figures!  He did not seem upset, though.  He just said he would email the lady and we would figure something out. 

So... I will be teaching AP Reading next year.  Another teacher (Mrs. Freeman) will be teaching the AP English.  I just cannot believe this.  It is like a dream come true!!!  I am so thrilled.  Now... to figure out what I will be teaching... hahahaha!!!

Simple Pleasures

I was thinking today of all the very simple things that I enjoy.  There are actually quite a few, but the list started at soap.  I bought a hose reel for my water hose, and boy, did we have at it!  That sucker gave me fits and I was sweating so bad.  I got it all put together and then tried to use it.  Well, one of the valve things started spouting out water.  I was furious!  I unwound all 100 feet of the hose, and I messed with it until it (almost) stopped leaking.  Then I went ahead and watered my garden and yard.  However, it was so hot that the water soaked up pretty fast.  Anyways, I decided to take a shower and realized how much I love soap!  It is wonderful!  Anyways, I started thinking about other "simple pleasures," and I decided to blog about them.  I'm a dork, I know.

So some other Simple Pleasures include:

deodorant
fresh mowed grass
ice cream
baby laughs
Skype (maybe not so simple)
milk
music


This is just what I thought of.  What are your simple pleasures?

Bucket List

After much contemplation and research, I have compiled a list of 30 things I want to do before I die.  I left off minor things that everybody knows about me.  This is in no particular order, which if you know me, then you know that drives me nuts.  haha.  Anyways, here is what I have so far:

1. Visit the opening of an art show
2. Become a better photographer
3. Indoor Rock climbing
4. Go skydiving
5. Learn how to snow board
6. Get a master’s degree
7. Make out in an elevator
8. Disney World
9. Go to Germany
10. Go to Paris (and the Louvre)
11. Go to New York
12. Go to a west coast beach
13. Take a Road trip across America with a group of friends
14. Go to the opera
15. Watch a show on Broadway
16. Learn to play the BASS guitar (a red one!)
17. Build a sand castle
18. Take a ride in a hot air balloon
19. Swim with dolphins
20. Go white water rafting
21. Race a sports car
22. Drive a red Lamborghini
23. Take a trip on a train
24. See the Northern Lights
25. Visit the Pyramids in Egypt
26. Visit the Great Wall of China
27. See Mount Rushmore      
28. Write and publish a children’s book
29. Sleep in a castle
30. Be recognized as an authority in education

If you have any questions, comments, concerns, suggestions, or so on, please, I am open to it all.  I have reasons for some of these, and some just sounded fun!  Some I am TERRIFIED to do, but would love to conquer my fear (of heights).  I cannot attribute most of these ideas to my brain, for they were gathered off of this website: http://www.squidoo.com/100things.  Feel free to visit.  They have over 500 things on their list.  Oh, and I know some of these will never be reached, but we always need some kind of dream.  Enjoy!

Suggestions

So, I started thinking the other day of things I want to do during my life.  I have a few things listed, but I was just wondering if any of you had any suggestions of things I should try?

Renovation Part Dos

Well, I forgot to mention the adrenaline-pumping adventure we had yesterday. Mom, Patti, and I went to the backyard and started straightening up some. There was a tarp in the corner of the yard by the fence. This tarp is from last summer when we were trying to get the pool in my yard. Well, we were trying to decide whether to keep the tarp or throw it away. We decided to chunk it, and mom started to toss the tarp up. I walked past the other side and was going to help her fold it up BUT... (dum dum dum...) instead I said, "Snake! There is a snake in there!" I started to run into the house, and we tried to get Antoinette's nephew into the house, but he would not move. So Mom told me to take him in the house. I grabbed him and ran. I asked the carpet guys, "Either of you know how to kill a snake?" They went outside.

Since I was inside the house, the only thing I saw was a snake slithering through the cracks of my back fence. Mom, Patti, and the carpet guys all agreed that the first snake was about an inch in diameter and about 3 or so feet long. When that went slithered away, one of the guys said, "There is another one!" They said that one was bigger... about 4 ft long and maybe 1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter. It too went through the slats of the fence and to the ditch behind my house.

Now I am too scared to go in the back yard or let Reina back there. Snakes! Really?

I also found out today that I am going to have to get a new air conditioner unit. Jamie is going to replace all of it and add more duct work to the front of the house so that the living room is not so stifling.

None of this could ruin my day, though... I feel like I am floating!!!!