This Is Why:

To clarify my last post... I have been under a lot of stress lately. School is making me crazy (sometimes), and I had a huge Halloween party I had to plan practically by myself. Mix that in with the major road rage I get with all the people that drive like morons here and the wonderful construction on the freeway and some neighbors that are very inconsiderate of those around them, and you get me upset and frustrated.

School has been crazy because I'm student teaching this semester. I have the hardest time writing up lesson plans. They take me days to write sometimes. I usually have ideas of what I want to do, but I have to be realistic with what is available to me (or how much I'm willing to purchase with my own money), what the kids can actually do, and what can fit into 5 minute rotations for small group activities. Then I feel like I don't get any help when I teach... For example, the very first week of student teaching the other two girls (there's six of us, three go on Tuesdays/Thursdays and the other three go on Wednesdays/Fridays) that taught got lots of help from the head preschool teacher. She stayed in from outside play to help them set up for their large and small group activities. Since only two people can teach each week on the days that I go, I was not in that first week of teaching. I taught the following week, and I got no help at all. I set up everything by myself. I was slightly annoyed, especially because it was my first teaching day, and I was super nervous. But I got over it. Then the second day I taught, the other two teachers had no idea what they were supposed to do during the small group activities. (We each are in charge of a planned small group activity, and the kids rotate so that they can do all three activities.) Well, we give each other lesson plans at the beginning of the week. Therefore, they should have that in front of them when they are helping out. Also, they should be reading the lessons as well to get a feel for the day. I'm pretty sure that I'm the only one that reads the other girls' lessons and that they do not read mine because they are always clueless on my days. So I have to tell them exactly what I want them to do sometime before the small group time. It's just frustrating because I feel like I'm wasting all this ink printing my lesson plans, when the two people that are supposed to supporting my teaching and activities aren't doing their part. Don't get me wrong. I love the preschool and student teaching. I have only taught twice, but I am so much more comfortable teaching now. The head preschool teacher never has any negative criticism for my lessons and just loves them! So I am pleased with that. I just can't handle the girls I go student teaching with. One of them, in particular, I can't handle one bit. She likes to socialize and talk a lot. She also likes to use the excuse that she's "adjusting to being a single mom" for never having assignments completed on time. I'm pretty sure that if this were her real-life job, she would have been fired a few weeks into this. I'm sorry, but if you can't handle your new lifestyle, then don't go to school. It's that simple. Anyways, that's enough about that.

I love these kids, and I am really happy I decided to go with this program. Who would have thought I would enjoy early childhood education more than elementary ed? I certainly did not think that the last times I worked/volunteered at preschools in San Diego.

The other thing that's been stressing me out was a Halloween party that I planned as a young women's service activity for the primary children in our ward. It was last Tuesday, and I am soooo happy it's over with. We tried really hard to get the girls to take charge as a personal progress value project, but they just didn't seem too excited about it. Several girls were helpful though, and I am grateful for the things they did. Anyways, I don't think it turned out as great as I was hoping, but the kids had fun and that's all that matters, right???

I'm in love with these cute kids. I love the fact that the little baby was watching one of our young women face paint and decided to paint her own face. She is quite possibly the most beautiful little baby girl I have ever seen. The little boy is in the preschool that I student teach at, so it's fun getting to know him better since I don't really know any of the kids in my ward.

So that is pretty much what I have been up to. I was thankful for fall break last week, even though it meant I only had one less day of school; I needed the short break. Now I just need to get out Utah for a break. Jon and I haven't had a mini-vacation just for ourselves at all this year. I know we both need it. We were hoping to go somewhere around Christmastime (my parents will be coming here since the three kids that will be able to spend Christmas with them this year are all living in Utah). I don't know if we will be going anywhere now though because we just bought a brand new iMac on Saturday. It was really random and a spur of the moment thing, but I am happy we did it... But if you asked Jon, he would tell you that I was freaking out about it because we just spent $1300 in less than an hour of deciding we were going to look for a new computer. That may not seem like a lot of money, but, when you've been living off not much more than that a month for several months (last year), it's really hard to spend that much money on something that really isn't a necessity. Anyways, Jon has been gone a lot in the last two months, so I know he's ready for a vacation. He only had two days off in the month of September, and he is getting close to being done. Although, he did inform me tonight that they want to extend some people a few more weeks, and Jon volunteered since he has no plans of getting a job after the fire season is over with. Hopefully, he'll be going to Arkansas with me still for Thanksgiving.

That's all for now.... until something exciting or frustrating happens again...