Where in the world have I been? In a blink four months has flown by and I can't believe it. I want to say so much has happened in the past four months but really it has been pretty routine. I started my new job at West Middle and I loooooove it! It was a little bumpy at first but I got the kinks worked out pretty quick. I am amazed at how much I am learning while working in this district, they really do value their teachers and it shows. However with the start of the new year it also means ANOTHER job hunt. I knew going into this school year that I would have to look but I am really feeling downtrodden...I mean I love my job. It sucks that things like one-year contracts even exists but it got me some great experience to add to my resume. Here's hoping that another middle school in the district has a place for me. I am even adding another certification (Elementary....yikes!) just to widen some possibilities.

Chris and I are doing great, slowly but surely trying to make some progress in starting a life together. Hopefully he will finish school this May, even though it is just a piece of paper I will feel so much better once he is done. He only has 6 more hours and he will have his Bachelor's, he can not give up now. I am officially tired of being asked when we're getting engaged...it is a lovely thought but just because two people have been together for a somewhat lengthy amount of time does not mean they need to put a ring on it. My mantra simply is, "Slow and steady wins the race."

I am off work for the next week so I will try to get back in this swing of writing somewhat regularly because I really do enjoy it. I can't believe I have had this blog for a year...wow! It's going to be 2010...does anyone ever stop and think, "Where is my flying car?"

This is going to be short but I will surely write more later, this has been the fastest two weeks EVER! I am officially a 6th grade teacher at PWMS, contract signed and everything and school starts tomorrow! My classroom is set and I have met some of my students already and I think it is going to be an awesome year. I will add pictures when I get the chance. Also today was my 24th birthday...I almost don't believe it. Me? Twenty-four YEARS old? 24 used to be my scary age...but as my life has progressed I realize that at 24 I am right where I want to be, with an amazing man (who's birthday card brought me to tears because it was so sweet), in a good job, with a supportive family and great friends who are right there along with me, in the great (but sometimes scary) twenties.

Summer vacation that is. My first summer break is in its last week and I am getting really excited about starting my new position as a 6th grade teacher at Parkway West Middle School. Yes, everything is almost official, I have filled out all the paperwork and I am just waiting for a few more "I"s to be dotted and "T"s crossed before I am officially official with a contract and everything. And so far everyone has been so welcoming and nice, I got three phone calls this week just welcoming to the team and the school and how happy they were to have me. I don't think I talked to anyone at Warrenton until the first week of school. I know Parkway is going to be a big change from Warrenton and I am very excited to be in a school district that has its' stuff together. I went and picked up some things I left in my classroom out in Warrenton yesterday and while I was sad to be leaving my friend Leslie and my new Promethean Board, I know that this change is definitely for the best, it means a closer commute, more money, and better resources.

Tomorrow I get to go out to school and see my classroom and run around the school a bit, hopefully I can move some of the crap that I took from Warrenton in so I don't have to cart it around in the back of my car.

Before I know it the first day of school will be here and those bright, shiny, 6th graders will be in my hands...oh goodness. I have a lot planned for this year and some changes that I would like to make in order to make my classroom run a lot smoother. For example, every kid is getting a number (that corresponds to alphabetical order) that they have to put on every piece of paper so I can put things in order in two seconds as opposed to ten minutes. That is just one minor thing but something to change nonetheless.

I can't wait to go school supply shopping! I can seriously spend hours in the teacher store looking at posters, stickers, markers, and pens...if only I had an unlimited budget for decorating...ahh, one can dream.

I have got to get some laundry done, we've been home from Flordia for a week and I still haven't gotten things all the way unpacked. Sometimes these arms just do not want to do chores. :)

Harry the Heron at our beautiful pool at the Gulf Tides Inn

We did a variety of things while we were there, we went to the beach, rode the awesome roller coasters at Busch Garden and felt like little kids playing on the all the water slides at Adventure Island. We also ate like kings! There was the best meat market really close to where we were staying and we got the most delicious filet mignon and twice baked potatoes. Not to mention all the great seafood we ate while on the beach. We couldn't believe how fast the time went, we felt like we had just unpacked when it was already time to come home again. I know the memories from this vacation will definitely get me through the upcoming months ahead...I don't even want to think about winter! Here are some pictures from the trip.

Chris and I at Adventure Island

Sunset on Upham Beach

If you want to see all the pictures, check out my Facebook album.

So last week I wrote about how it was going to be such a long week because I was waiting for an interview for a new job and let me tell you IT WAS! I was a complete nut, I practice interviewing myself in the car on the way to Chris's house and had my sister mock interview, I wanted this thing so badly I could taste it. I got all gussied up on Thursday and strutted my stuff on in to wow the pants off the interview panel. Now I feel that I am making myself sound VERY confident going in to this interview when the truth is I could have peed my pants once I actually got there. I just tried to remain calm and collected even after they dropped the M-bomb on me...MATH. I was interviewing for a geography slash MATH position. I am sure the look on my face said, "WTF?" because the principal replied with, "Does that change your mind?" I really didn't know what to respond with except for, "Nope, not a problem, love math!" I'm such a liar. Math is my worst f'ing subject and now you want me to teach it to 6th graders. And my all means I should be able to teach 6th grade math, it covers things like fractions, decimals, precentages, but math is just one of the subjects that if you don't know what you are doing you stay the hell away from trying to act like you know how to teach it! But I digress, I made it in to the interview where I met with a panel of 8 people, by far the biggest panel I have come across so far in my fledgeling teaching career. They all introduced themselves and we got down to business. Thankfully they focused on teaching questions instead of content knowledge unlike the unsuccessful Parkway South interview. But I made sure to show them that I was the best for this job... I mean geography is my life, I was made for this job. Afterwards the principal told me that I would hear from them by next Friday and to enjoy my weekend and that was that.