For my preschool cirriculum class I have to do 35 hours of field experience with 4 year olds. I am meeting someone tomorrow at a preschool to meet the teacher, get approved by the director, and give them my info. I really want to teach 3rd grade (2nd and 4th are ok too), and 4 year olds are not really what I want to do. But we'll be certified from pre-k to 5th grade. I enjoy playing with / baby-sitting that age, but teaching them is so difficult! Anyways, we'll see how it goes. The whole process of getting in touch with a school, meeting them, setting up a schedule, etc. is kind of a pain and I'm always nervous about how it will go. 35 hours.... I can ony go on Fridays (because of my other classes being in the mornings) and I try to remind myself that it will only be for about 7-8 weeks.
Tomorrow I'm also having lunch with Louise, a lady from my church who has been on both Kenya trips with me. I always enjoy our time together because she is always so encouraging to me and I enjoy talking to her.
In bible study we're going to start reading Francis Chan's new book, "Forgotten God." He wrote "Crazy Love" which was a big hit. We read that book and did a bible study on it last year. This one is on the holy spirit. It should be interesting. Last night we talked about what we knew about the holy spirit, what we thought about it, read some bible verses, etc, and just had an intro to it. I'm excited about it because I feel like we know so much about God and Jesus and not as much about the holy spirit.
This Sunday I am getting baptized. I was baptized as a baby and in the presbyterian church that's just the way you do it. You can still get baptized when you're older too, but most people don't do it twice. I've always felt like God has ALWAYS been in my life. When I was 11 or 12, I formally prayed for God to be in my heart and life, but I didn't feel like it was a big change because he already was. I just made it official I guess. But other than that, I've just grown up in a church where you don't really get baptized again. And for the past two and a half years I've been at a church where they don't baptize babies, they only do it when they're older and they dunk them. Because in the bible whenever they talk about salvation, they link believing and baptizing together.
Mark 16:16, "Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned."
Acts 2:38, "Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
Matthew 28:19-20, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."
So I've prayed about it for 2 years or so but finally feel like I should. I've felt I shouldn't before because I equate getting baptized to new christians. To "starting over." And that's not me. It is for most people though. It's not me just now coming to God, or just now recieving the holy spirit. It's not about me wanting to tell everybody that I follow Jesus because I already have been. It's about doing what the bible has said. Jesus was baptized, and it's not like HE was just then becoming a follower of God - He was God! haha. And in so many instances it links being baptized and believing together. I don't think that people aren't going to heaven if they dont' get baptized as long as they believe in Jesus and his death on the cross for us, but if baptisim is what God asks us to do, why not do it?
Friday, January 29, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Done!
You know what feels really good? Getting things done. Today I did A LOT of homework, and although I hated it, being done (or done enough) is such a good feeling. I have classes tomorrow that I know will give me more homework, but I feel good knowing that I'm on top of things for now. That I could watch some TV without feeling guilty about not finishing my homework. It feels good to have things in order, to have things planned out, to get things accomplished.
Lesson learned - even if you put a few drops of the wrong soap in the washer, it will take hours to get out
HA!
This afternoon I loaded up the dishwasher and absent-mindedly poured in regular soap instead of dishwasher soap. Well, let me rerphrase that. It's the liquid soap you use to hand wash dishes. But I knew it was wrong to use and even says so on the back. So I scooped it out with a teaspoon, but didn't get it ALL out. And so when I poured in the regular dishwasher soap and started it up, it started to bubble up and pour out onto the floor. :-( I stopped it, and turned on the dry cycle and let the bubbles go down. When I came back, the bubbles were gone but there was still standing water. Well I tried again and same problem. So I had to scoop out the water with a cup, and run it again. (Without adding soap!) Repeat all of the above for about 3 times. Then it was finally ok! Whew. By now those dishes must be super clean!!
I practiced dancing for my dance class and felt rediculous dancing around the living room to these strange foreign dances. Then I watched some "Friends" episodes. Trying to do some homework too, but I counted the dancing as homework because I have to know those dances. Tomorrow I only have one class but he cancelled it, and the family I baby-sit for won't need me tomorrow, so I have a day off! Well, not "off" because I have a mountain of homework to do, but it's cool that I get to take that day to get it all done.
I've realized recently a huge pet peeve I have. I've known before that its been frustrating to me, but never to the extent that it is. I realized it last week (or the week before?) when I was in class and these two guys were talking when someone else was talking, and when the teacher was talking. I was so mad I could feel my heart beating faster. And then other times occured to me that it happens and I can't stand it. In youth group when we're singing or the youth pastor is talking and there are people whispering and acting up it drives me insane. And no matter how many times I tell them to be quiet, they aren't. In church when people talk or comment through the whole thing, oh my gosh. Wait til the end!!
This afternoon I loaded up the dishwasher and absent-mindedly poured in regular soap instead of dishwasher soap. Well, let me rerphrase that. It's the liquid soap you use to hand wash dishes. But I knew it was wrong to use and even says so on the back. So I scooped it out with a teaspoon, but didn't get it ALL out. And so when I poured in the regular dishwasher soap and started it up, it started to bubble up and pour out onto the floor. :-( I stopped it, and turned on the dry cycle and let the bubbles go down. When I came back, the bubbles were gone but there was still standing water. Well I tried again and same problem. So I had to scoop out the water with a cup, and run it again. (Without adding soap!) Repeat all of the above for about 3 times. Then it was finally ok! Whew. By now those dishes must be super clean!!
I practiced dancing for my dance class and felt rediculous dancing around the living room to these strange foreign dances. Then I watched some "Friends" episodes. Trying to do some homework too, but I counted the dancing as homework because I have to know those dances. Tomorrow I only have one class but he cancelled it, and the family I baby-sit for won't need me tomorrow, so I have a day off! Well, not "off" because I have a mountain of homework to do, but it's cool that I get to take that day to get it all done.
I've realized recently a huge pet peeve I have. I've known before that its been frustrating to me, but never to the extent that it is. I realized it last week (or the week before?) when I was in class and these two guys were talking when someone else was talking, and when the teacher was talking. I was so mad I could feel my heart beating faster. And then other times occured to me that it happens and I can't stand it. In youth group when we're singing or the youth pastor is talking and there are people whispering and acting up it drives me insane. And no matter how many times I tell them to be quiet, they aren't. In church when people talk or comment through the whole thing, oh my gosh. Wait til the end!!
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Jennifer Stories
If you don't know why it's called Jennifer stories, go back and find the last one titled it and you'll see the explanation.
The other day when I went to the bookstore on campus to buy my overpriced books, I remembered that they used to have a desk where you can tell them your ID number and they printed off your books from your classes with detailed stuff on it so you knew which books to get. I walked up to a guy and asked if they still do that, and he said, "Yes, over at that desk right there." I said thanks and when I walked up I realized there was a GIANT sign that said, "Print your book list here!" that I don't know how I miss. He probably told people that I asked him that, hahaha.
When I went to a friend's house to play the wii last week, there was a game we played where you had to balance sandwhiches that were really tall on a plate and run them to the guy at the end of the room without spilling and you get points for it. Each time you came out the sandwhich was higher. Well every time I was just running mine really fast, and even if I didn't run fast, all of mine always fell off. We went back a second time to play it and I was going to skip through the instructions again, but I saw "Hold down the "A" button to stop and balance the sandwhich." Hahaha! I had missed that completely.
The other day when I went to the bookstore on campus to buy my overpriced books, I remembered that they used to have a desk where you can tell them your ID number and they printed off your books from your classes with detailed stuff on it so you knew which books to get. I walked up to a guy and asked if they still do that, and he said, "Yes, over at that desk right there." I said thanks and when I walked up I realized there was a GIANT sign that said, "Print your book list here!" that I don't know how I miss. He probably told people that I asked him that, hahaha.
When I went to a friend's house to play the wii last week, there was a game we played where you had to balance sandwhiches that were really tall on a plate and run them to the guy at the end of the room without spilling and you get points for it. Each time you came out the sandwhich was higher. Well every time I was just running mine really fast, and even if I didn't run fast, all of mine always fell off. We went back a second time to play it and I was going to skip through the instructions again, but I saw "Hold down the "A" button to stop and balance the sandwhich." Hahaha! I had missed that completely.
My saturday went by too fast.
Today I went to the gym at my college. They have a new rule that you have to wear short sleeve shirts or else you can't work out there. I guess I understand, but when it's 35 degrees outside it's kind of hard to put on a short sleeves shirt when you don't want to bring a jacket in to the gym! Their lockers used to have locks but they don't anymore! And I don't want my stuff to be stolen. So I just drug my stuff around with me. I read a book while walking on the tredmill for 40 minutes, then did a bunch of weight machines.
Then I went to the grocery store and got LOTS of healty food! I actually excited about it! It looks like a lot of it will taste good! When I got home I was like, "Wow, so what do I eat first?" since it was lunch time. After that I was on the computer some then took a nap because I was suddenly exahusted even though I slept 9 hours last night. And here I am. It's almost 9:00, still need a shower, got to go to bed by 12 since church is tomorrow, and I still have a mountain of homework to do. Sigh. Man my saturday snuck away quick.
Then I went to the grocery store and got LOTS of healty food! I actually excited about it! It looks like a lot of it will taste good! When I got home I was like, "Wow, so what do I eat first?" since it was lunch time. After that I was on the computer some then took a nap because I was suddenly exahusted even though I slept 9 hours last night. And here I am. It's almost 9:00, still need a shower, got to go to bed by 12 since church is tomorrow, and I still have a mountain of homework to do. Sigh. Man my saturday snuck away quick.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Today
Today I drove an hour and 20 minutes out to see my friend Kelly Newton in Carrollton. She goes to West Georgia. We ate at a place very similar to Moe's and talked for a long time, then went to "the square" which is very similar to Marietta Square. We got some coffee first. They have no starbucks in Carrollton! Craziness! And no drivethrough coffee places - you have to go inside to all of them. I may never live there simply because of that. :-) Then we went into a little bookstore with gifts and books in there, and a cat who walks around. Don't they know that people could be allergic to cats? Or seriously hate them? Oh well, interesting concept. We went to several other stores with random things in them before I headed home - I left around 3:30. It was a good afternoon. I'm not sure why, but at one point I remembered me being 12 and Kelly 13 years old, and us wanting to go somewhere without our parents. We wanted them to drop us off somewhere, but my parents wouldnt' let us and it made me mad. And I suddenly today thought, "Hey, here we are, 10 years later doing whatever we want by ourselves" and it was funny. It's like the kid in me said, "HEY! Yes! You're finally there, where you wanted to be! Independent!" (Uh, besides the financial part of it but that's ok!!)
Kelly graduates from college this May! And I'm excited for her! But she has no idea where she'll get a job. She will be looking for jobs in a PR area, but she doesn't know where she wants to live. She wants to live in Savannah, and so do I, so I told her if she got a job down there, I'd follow her down there next year if I could get a job too. Haha. But, who knows.
Even though it's cool to have Fridays off in college (what an awsome thing that is for KSU to do! Thank you KSU!), with education majors we always have field experience and it takes up our Fridays. I will have to help for 35 hours in a preschool, and I might be starting next Friday. I also baby-sit 2:30-5:30 on Fridays, but today they didn't need me.
Tomorrow I'm going to the gym for the first time in like 3 years. Yes, please laugh. Then I'm going to do lots of homework until it's done. Also going to do some of that tonight mixed in with watching either "Gilmore Girls" or "Friends" when I'm sick of homework, and then go back to homework.
Kelly graduates from college this May! And I'm excited for her! But she has no idea where she'll get a job. She will be looking for jobs in a PR area, but she doesn't know where she wants to live. She wants to live in Savannah, and so do I, so I told her if she got a job down there, I'd follow her down there next year if I could get a job too. Haha. But, who knows.
Even though it's cool to have Fridays off in college (what an awsome thing that is for KSU to do! Thank you KSU!), with education majors we always have field experience and it takes up our Fridays. I will have to help for 35 hours in a preschool, and I might be starting next Friday. I also baby-sit 2:30-5:30 on Fridays, but today they didn't need me.
Tomorrow I'm going to the gym for the first time in like 3 years. Yes, please laugh. Then I'm going to do lots of homework until it's done. Also going to do some of that tonight mixed in with watching either "Gilmore Girls" or "Friends" when I'm sick of homework, and then go back to homework.
:-(
Wow. This morning in my dancing class my teacher was in a bad mood. She would show us the steps for a new dance, and then push play on the music and expect us to do it. Then when we'd get it wrong or with the "wrong form" she'd get all mad at us. All of the dances are fast and make you breathe hard, and she pushed us straight for 45 minutes. She told us to count out loud and I couldn't because I was breathing so hard, and then she got mad that we weren't all counting out loud. At one point she said, "Ok, next dance" and I just left to get water because I was dripping sweat and so tired. She saw me going off and then said, "Oh, do you guys want to take a water break?" and everyone said, "Yes!" We've learned 6 dances in 2 class periods. BAH. It's not fun because she's so strict about it and we go so fast. On top of that we have to know the history of the dance, the country it orriginated in, etc. and I really could care less. Thakfully it's only a 1 credit class whereas most are 3 credit classes.
You know when you are doing work and you SO don't get it that you literally want to cry? Or do cry? that would be my math class. It's geometry. Which i took in 10th grade 6 or 7 years ago, so I thought it'd be fine, but it's not. It's so hard!!!! It's not stuff I ever remember learning. And she grades homework for ACURRACY!! Dang! So I got a 79 on the first homework but she said it's not a big deal because we have homework due every week. And during the 2nd class she gave us a pop quiz on stuff from the 1st day of class and said, "Oh no need to worry, it's easy." I made a 64. Yep. Got it back today. So, today was not such a great day overall. I got home at 5:45 and went to sleep until 8:30.
I'm so ready to be done with college, and I know the next year of student teaching and all that goes with it is going to be hard. I just don't want to do it. I understand why people drop out of college, or take a semester off here and there. It's hard!!! And draining! And it irks me when I hear people say, "Oh yeah, college was so easy. Especially the core classes." Not for me! The whole 4 years I've been here has been an uphill battle and I have struggled to keep a good GPA.
Side note - I looked for the Wii fit plus in wal-mart and the guy said they've been out of stock for a while, and even out of wii's. Online same thing! I don't understand - why can't they just make more!? Geez.
You know when you are doing work and you SO don't get it that you literally want to cry? Or do cry? that would be my math class. It's geometry. Which i took in 10th grade 6 or 7 years ago, so I thought it'd be fine, but it's not. It's so hard!!!! It's not stuff I ever remember learning. And she grades homework for ACURRACY!! Dang! So I got a 79 on the first homework but she said it's not a big deal because we have homework due every week. And during the 2nd class she gave us a pop quiz on stuff from the 1st day of class and said, "Oh no need to worry, it's easy." I made a 64. Yep. Got it back today. So, today was not such a great day overall. I got home at 5:45 and went to sleep until 8:30.
I'm so ready to be done with college, and I know the next year of student teaching and all that goes with it is going to be hard. I just don't want to do it. I understand why people drop out of college, or take a semester off here and there. It's hard!!! And draining! And it irks me when I hear people say, "Oh yeah, college was so easy. Especially the core classes." Not for me! The whole 4 years I've been here has been an uphill battle and I have struggled to keep a good GPA.
Side note - I looked for the Wii fit plus in wal-mart and the guy said they've been out of stock for a while, and even out of wii's. Online same thing! I don't understand - why can't they just make more!? Geez.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Why yes, I do buy myself valentine's presents, and it's fun.
Have you seen the commercials or videos online about Wii fit plus?? Oh man, that's next on my list to get!!! It looks so cool! I hate that it's so expensive - I don't have a Wii so I'd have to buy that with it. But, we'll see. Maybe I can just stop eating out so much and buy it. Maybe I will buy it on valentines day. I buy myself valentines presents because I dont' have a boyfriend, and so I might as well get something for myself! Haha. Last year I bought myself some chocolate, a big bear to sleep with because my other one was getting old, some twistable crayons which are so cool, and something else I think. It was fun. :-)
This morning in my art class it was boring, but then we got to do a collage of "About me" and I had ordered some pictures I'd taken from snapfish, so I used those. It was actually ok, and we show them to the class next week. As I drove home, I tried to think about something good for each class. For art, it's ok because sometimes we'll do creative things in there that I don't mind. And at least it's not the same level of homework and stress level as math or science. In Math, it's geometry and not Algebra. In my preschool cirriculum class I have a friend in there (Heather Manston) and even though the class sounds boring and a waste of my time, I'm sure I'll learn something. In my special ed class I know that information will come in handy. And in my dance class although I'm not enjoying it so far, I'm at least getting excersize! Which is totally need! And i made a new friend in there.
Tonight is bible study. Friday I'm going to visit my friend Kelly Newton about an hour and 15 min away to have lunch with her. We were going to see a movie but couldn't get the right time for the movie we wanted to see.
My loan money comes in this week! Whew! It's down to the wire folks. About time it comes in.
Last night I bombed at doing homework. Monday we had no classes b/c it was a holiday and I did a lot of homework and was proud of myself for getting so much done, and last night I hardly did any. I was frustrated when I couldn't find an article to write about for my preschool class, and then I just didn't feel like doing the rest, so I just didn't. Bah. So now it is beginning to pile up again.
So I've never really watched the show "Friends" because I was too young when it was on TV and then even when i was old enough I just didn't watch TV much. Sat night some friends from church let me borrow season 1 to watch and I started watching some yesterday. They're only 30 min long which is funny because so many shows are an hour now. Anyways, I haven't really thought it was that great yet, but it ran for 11 years and I know so many people who LOVED it so I'll keep watching. However, nothing tops Gilmore Girls. :-)
This morning in my art class it was boring, but then we got to do a collage of "About me" and I had ordered some pictures I'd taken from snapfish, so I used those. It was actually ok, and we show them to the class next week. As I drove home, I tried to think about something good for each class. For art, it's ok because sometimes we'll do creative things in there that I don't mind. And at least it's not the same level of homework and stress level as math or science. In Math, it's geometry and not Algebra. In my preschool cirriculum class I have a friend in there (Heather Manston) and even though the class sounds boring and a waste of my time, I'm sure I'll learn something. In my special ed class I know that information will come in handy. And in my dance class although I'm not enjoying it so far, I'm at least getting excersize! Which is totally need! And i made a new friend in there.
Tonight is bible study. Friday I'm going to visit my friend Kelly Newton about an hour and 15 min away to have lunch with her. We were going to see a movie but couldn't get the right time for the movie we wanted to see.
My loan money comes in this week! Whew! It's down to the wire folks. About time it comes in.
Last night I bombed at doing homework. Monday we had no classes b/c it was a holiday and I did a lot of homework and was proud of myself for getting so much done, and last night I hardly did any. I was frustrated when I couldn't find an article to write about for my preschool class, and then I just didn't feel like doing the rest, so I just didn't. Bah. So now it is beginning to pile up again.
So I've never really watched the show "Friends" because I was too young when it was on TV and then even when i was old enough I just didn't watch TV much. Sat night some friends from church let me borrow season 1 to watch and I started watching some yesterday. They're only 30 min long which is funny because so many shows are an hour now. Anyways, I haven't really thought it was that great yet, but it ran for 11 years and I know so many people who LOVED it so I'll keep watching. However, nothing tops Gilmore Girls. :-)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
My weekend in Tennessee and my classes
Jan 8-10 I went to Tennessee as a chaperone on the middle and high school conference.
We stayed in a beautiful, huge chalet way up on a mountain. We arrived Friday night. The roads were icy, but we made it up and down ok. The conferences were good, the music was good. Saturday during the morning conference, one of the boys, Christian, got sick and they took him to the hosiptal. They think it was strep. Just before it was time for dinner, Jason (our youth pastor) told us that there was a mix up and we were in the wrong chalet! So we had to go back, pack our stuff, and go find the correct chalet on a different mountain. The first mountain was the wrong one. The second one was covered in ice and we were unable to make it up, and had to back the three 15 passenger vans down backwards. The pizza delivered to our vans which we parked at a church on the mountain. Since we were unable to get up the mountain, we weren't sure where to stay. Jason was able to talk to people at Johnson Bible College and we headed that way to stay in some of their old dorms.
When we arrived, about 5 hours after we'd left the conference center, we all piled in the building with our stuff and got sheets and blankets, and discovered that when they went to turn the heat on it blew the breakers! So there was no lights except emergency lights, and no heat or hot water. I had a flashlight and we all got our rooms settled anyways. The electricty finally came on shortly before bed, yay! Oh what a day that was. Through it all God kept us fed, warm, and had beds to sleep on at night. Thank you Lord!
Sun morning we went to a morning conference and headed home. Although we spent an ample amount of time in the vans, it was good to get to know each other more, play games, talk, etc.
One thing that kind of hit me on this trip, was how I usually come into a situation, a trip, a semester of classes, etc. with expectations and wants. Sometimes I'm more intentional about them and sometimes it's something I don't realize until later. For example, on this trip I wanted to: 1. Get mint chocolate fudge. But none of the shops had any. 2. Meet the Skit Guys and one of the singers, Francesca Batestelli but I didn't see them at all - not sure if they weren't at their tables or I just missed them. 3. To get enough sleep and maybe even my own bed which I did get. 4. To hang out with and talk to certain people and I did for the most part. 5. To take lots of pictures and get some good ones which I did. But as I stepped back and thought about it towards the end of the trip, I also noticed other people's wants and expectations. Some of them didn't get theirs met, and some did. But in all that, do we miss what God's trying to do or tell us? Do we get caught up in selfishness of who's in our room, who's in our van, where we get to shop, etc. and lose sight of what the point of the trip is? I hope not. Not just for myself, but for everybody. I hope that we can learn not to let our unimportant wants and the difficulties thrown our way get in the way of letting God use us and speak to us. That when things get bad we don't shut down. I am working towards this.
"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." - 1 John 2:17
Classes have started back. I hate hate hate hate homework. When I get home, I've had a day of classes and baby-sitting and all I want to do is watch TV/movie, get on facebook, eat, shower, and go to bed. I also don't ever want to work out, but I need to start doing that.
Class #1. Folk, Social and Square dancing.
HA! yes! I need an extra class to push me over to a full time student to be under my parents insurance since I turned 21 last year. The class is surprisingly half girls half guys. So far we learned a few dances and they're all fast and tiring. It's hard to do! It makes me tired and she only runs through it like twice and then we move on! We also have to learn the boring backgrounds about how they got started, the countires they orriginated in, etc. and she lectures on that and we read about it. It's like a history class, and it's annoying. Anyways, not my favorite class, but whatever.
Class # 2. Geometry and Measurement for Elementary teachers
Not necessarily on what we're teaching them, it's the same material I learned my 10th grade years of geometry. And I'm thinking, "Really? Why?" She gave us a pop quiz on the 2nd day of class about what we learned the FIRST day and she says, "oh don't worry! It's easy, everyone will do fine!" Guess what I made. A 64. Yep. I'm angry. I have to say I'm thankful it's geometry and not algebra because I did better in geometry, so I'm trying to look at it that way. But I'm still not happy with the class.
Class #3. Integration of Exceptional Students.
Aka a special education class on how to deal with students with ADHD, disabilities, autism, etc. in the regular classroom. I think it will be a good class - helpful anyways - but so far it's been slow. There are some people in there that are SO RUDE and they talk when the teacher or another student is talking! And it's not a whisper! We're all so frustrated with it and today I said, "SHHHHHHH!!!!" really loud and they actually stopped. Dude, I'm about to snap with them. Next time I will seriously say something. We are not in high school anymore people. If you can't keep your mouth shut then leave. We're paying an arm and a leg to be here!!!
Class #4. Art in Education for elementary teachers.
So far we've only had one class, our 2nd one is tomorrow morning. I'm a creative person, but I don't really like doing art stuff. I'm not looking forward to the class, but hopefully I'll make an A.
Class #5. Preschool Cirriculum.
We've only met once, then there was Martin Luther King day and we didn't have classes, and he cancelled the for next Monday. So our 2nd class will be the following Monday. I'm irritated that I have to take this class because I want to teach 3rd grade (2nd and 4th would be ok too), and never preschool. I like playing with and baby-sitting that age, but not teaching a whole room full of them. But we'll be certified pre-k to 5th grade. We'll have to do 35 hours of field experience in a preschool with this class too. :-( There's a TON of work with this class and I don't like it.
Anyways, despite my non-excitement about my classes, I've been doing some other fun stuff on the side. Hanging out with people for once. Watching some TV / movies. I feel like I'm spinning plates on sticks, trying to keep them all balanced and spinning at once.....so now I'd like to try another plate - excersizing. I really hate to exersize, and even more the whole process of getting ready, and then showering and all that after, because my day is usually full and I don't have time or I don't want to shower there. But, I need to. The Wii Fit looks SOO COOL! But I don't have the money to get it. Ugh. Maybe someday. I'm baby-sitting 3 days a week right now, but will be doing it 4 days a week starting next week. Not always 4 days a week, but sometimes.
So, off I go to spin my plates and keep them balanced. Wish me luck!
Click on the pictures below to make them bigger.
We stayed in a beautiful, huge chalet way up on a mountain. We arrived Friday night. The roads were icy, but we made it up and down ok. The conferences were good, the music was good. Saturday during the morning conference, one of the boys, Christian, got sick and they took him to the hosiptal. They think it was strep. Just before it was time for dinner, Jason (our youth pastor) told us that there was a mix up and we were in the wrong chalet! So we had to go back, pack our stuff, and go find the correct chalet on a different mountain. The first mountain was the wrong one. The second one was covered in ice and we were unable to make it up, and had to back the three 15 passenger vans down backwards. The pizza delivered to our vans which we parked at a church on the mountain. Since we were unable to get up the mountain, we weren't sure where to stay. Jason was able to talk to people at Johnson Bible College and we headed that way to stay in some of their old dorms.
When we arrived, about 5 hours after we'd left the conference center, we all piled in the building with our stuff and got sheets and blankets, and discovered that when they went to turn the heat on it blew the breakers! So there was no lights except emergency lights, and no heat or hot water. I had a flashlight and we all got our rooms settled anyways. The electricty finally came on shortly before bed, yay! Oh what a day that was. Through it all God kept us fed, warm, and had beds to sleep on at night. Thank you Lord!
Sun morning we went to a morning conference and headed home. Although we spent an ample amount of time in the vans, it was good to get to know each other more, play games, talk, etc.
One thing that kind of hit me on this trip, was how I usually come into a situation, a trip, a semester of classes, etc. with expectations and wants. Sometimes I'm more intentional about them and sometimes it's something I don't realize until later. For example, on this trip I wanted to: 1. Get mint chocolate fudge. But none of the shops had any. 2. Meet the Skit Guys and one of the singers, Francesca Batestelli but I didn't see them at all - not sure if they weren't at their tables or I just missed them. 3. To get enough sleep and maybe even my own bed which I did get. 4. To hang out with and talk to certain people and I did for the most part. 5. To take lots of pictures and get some good ones which I did. But as I stepped back and thought about it towards the end of the trip, I also noticed other people's wants and expectations. Some of them didn't get theirs met, and some did. But in all that, do we miss what God's trying to do or tell us? Do we get caught up in selfishness of who's in our room, who's in our van, where we get to shop, etc. and lose sight of what the point of the trip is? I hope not. Not just for myself, but for everybody. I hope that we can learn not to let our unimportant wants and the difficulties thrown our way get in the way of letting God use us and speak to us. That when things get bad we don't shut down. I am working towards this.
"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." - 1 John 2:17
Classes have started back. I hate hate hate hate homework. When I get home, I've had a day of classes and baby-sitting and all I want to do is watch TV/movie, get on facebook, eat, shower, and go to bed. I also don't ever want to work out, but I need to start doing that.
Class #1. Folk, Social and Square dancing.
HA! yes! I need an extra class to push me over to a full time student to be under my parents insurance since I turned 21 last year. The class is surprisingly half girls half guys. So far we learned a few dances and they're all fast and tiring. It's hard to do! It makes me tired and she only runs through it like twice and then we move on! We also have to learn the boring backgrounds about how they got started, the countires they orriginated in, etc. and she lectures on that and we read about it. It's like a history class, and it's annoying. Anyways, not my favorite class, but whatever.
Class # 2. Geometry and Measurement for Elementary teachers
Not necessarily on what we're teaching them, it's the same material I learned my 10th grade years of geometry. And I'm thinking, "Really? Why?" She gave us a pop quiz on the 2nd day of class about what we learned the FIRST day and she says, "oh don't worry! It's easy, everyone will do fine!" Guess what I made. A 64. Yep. I'm angry. I have to say I'm thankful it's geometry and not algebra because I did better in geometry, so I'm trying to look at it that way. But I'm still not happy with the class.
Class #3. Integration of Exceptional Students.
Aka a special education class on how to deal with students with ADHD, disabilities, autism, etc. in the regular classroom. I think it will be a good class - helpful anyways - but so far it's been slow. There are some people in there that are SO RUDE and they talk when the teacher or another student is talking! And it's not a whisper! We're all so frustrated with it and today I said, "SHHHHHHH!!!!" really loud and they actually stopped. Dude, I'm about to snap with them. Next time I will seriously say something. We are not in high school anymore people. If you can't keep your mouth shut then leave. We're paying an arm and a leg to be here!!!
Class #4. Art in Education for elementary teachers.
So far we've only had one class, our 2nd one is tomorrow morning. I'm a creative person, but I don't really like doing art stuff. I'm not looking forward to the class, but hopefully I'll make an A.
Class #5. Preschool Cirriculum.
We've only met once, then there was Martin Luther King day and we didn't have classes, and he cancelled the for next Monday. So our 2nd class will be the following Monday. I'm irritated that I have to take this class because I want to teach 3rd grade (2nd and 4th would be ok too), and never preschool. I like playing with and baby-sitting that age, but not teaching a whole room full of them. But we'll be certified pre-k to 5th grade. We'll have to do 35 hours of field experience in a preschool with this class too. :-( There's a TON of work with this class and I don't like it.
Anyways, despite my non-excitement about my classes, I've been doing some other fun stuff on the side. Hanging out with people for once. Watching some TV / movies. I feel like I'm spinning plates on sticks, trying to keep them all balanced and spinning at once.....so now I'd like to try another plate - excersizing. I really hate to exersize, and even more the whole process of getting ready, and then showering and all that after, because my day is usually full and I don't have time or I don't want to shower there. But, I need to. The Wii Fit looks SOO COOL! But I don't have the money to get it. Ugh. Maybe someday. I'm baby-sitting 3 days a week right now, but will be doing it 4 days a week starting next week. Not always 4 days a week, but sometimes.
So, off I go to spin my plates and keep them balanced. Wish me luck!
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Friday, January 8, 2010
Jennifer stories
I call them Jennifer stories. They're things that would of course happen to me. They happen just about every day. Sometimes rediculous or funny or strange.
It snowed yesterday and today our driveway is still covered in snow. So I wanted to go out and take a picture. It wasn't snow, it was ice. I fell. My feet went out from under me and I hit hard, and then I couldn't stand up because of the ice, so I had to crawl back on my butt and hands, and it was so cold! Note to self - feel the ground before I start walking on it when it looks like snow!!! So, no picture.
Yesterday when I was at the food court place at my college, you have to scan your card and then walk through the turning metal bars. I scanned my card, the lady said, "Ok go ahead," so I walked full speed ahead into it and it's always worked before. BAM! I walked hard into it and it banged into my legs, not moving. Ow. "Oh, you have to wait a second....ok now go." If I had to wait a second, why didn't she say so! She said go ahead! It's like, "Go ahead.....no wait......ok go ahead."
Ok, heading out to Tennessee in a few hours. Bye!
It snowed yesterday and today our driveway is still covered in snow. So I wanted to go out and take a picture. It wasn't snow, it was ice. I fell. My feet went out from under me and I hit hard, and then I couldn't stand up because of the ice, so I had to crawl back on my butt and hands, and it was so cold! Note to self - feel the ground before I start walking on it when it looks like snow!!! So, no picture.
Yesterday when I was at the food court place at my college, you have to scan your card and then walk through the turning metal bars. I scanned my card, the lady said, "Ok go ahead," so I walked full speed ahead into it and it's always worked before. BAM! I walked hard into it and it banged into my legs, not moving. Ow. "Oh, you have to wait a second....ok now go." If I had to wait a second, why didn't she say so! She said go ahead! It's like, "Go ahead.....no wait......ok go ahead."
Ok, heading out to Tennessee in a few hours. Bye!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Starting classes tomorrow
Tomorrow I start my classes. Let me clarify that by saying I have 3 of my classes tomorrow, Thursday, and then the rest start on Monday. Who thought it was a good idea to start classes on Thursday? I have always hated the first week of classes because even though this is my 8th semester of college, I still get anxious about it. I still hate the new-ness of it all. Not knowing where to sit, who to talk to, seeing the whole semester's work layed out in front of you all at one time, getting into the routine of things.....I just don't enjoy it. I don't like going to bed early, getting up early, and having homework.
However, it might snow tomorrow! Here in GA it never snows. Also, on Friday I leave for TN for the weekend, so that will be good.
However, it might snow tomorrow! Here in GA it never snows. Also, on Friday I leave for TN for the weekend, so that will be good.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
This post has no main topic or subject. Hence this wonderful title.
Today was church. Some days I just don't feel like being all sociable and talking to a bunch of people, and today was one of those days. I'm not even sure why, I had no reason, I just didn't feel like it. But I did anyways. Then I had lunch with my parents and some of their friends at a mexican restaurant. When I got home I was so tired because I hardly slept at all last night, but I'm trying to get back a normal sleep schedule so I didn't want to take a nap, but the nap won the war. I slept for 4 hours. Sigh. It's about to be 10:00 and I'm just now hungry for dinner. Also need to get back in the habit of eating at normal times.
Classes start Thursday and I'm battling between hating it and being ok with it. I've done most of what I wanted to do on my 5 week break. I'm ready to move forward in finishing this semester, not necessarily glad to be back in classes and a hectic schedule. And this 5 weeks (ok, it's been 4, but this week will be 5) has really cleared my head. I've got some clearer goals in mind, and some stronger sense of direction. There's some things in my life that I've looked at and realized I need to get rid of, and some things that I want to add.
This weekend I go to the retreat with the middle and high schoolers. There's about 35 youth and 9 adults, all in one big cabin! Whoo! Yes, I am excited about this. Although I may not get much sleep, some fun things will be happening.
Classes start Thursday and I'm battling between hating it and being ok with it. I've done most of what I wanted to do on my 5 week break. I'm ready to move forward in finishing this semester, not necessarily glad to be back in classes and a hectic schedule. And this 5 weeks (ok, it's been 4, but this week will be 5) has really cleared my head. I've got some clearer goals in mind, and some stronger sense of direction. There's some things in my life that I've looked at and realized I need to get rid of, and some things that I want to add.
This weekend I go to the retreat with the middle and high schoolers. There's about 35 youth and 9 adults, all in one big cabin! Whoo! Yes, I am excited about this. Although I may not get much sleep, some fun things will be happening.
Friday, January 1, 2010
2010: the best year of my life so far
Tonight I went to my church, NWCC, to help out with the middle and high school youth group new year's eve party. Most of them had their own groups of friends, caught up in them and running around excited as I watched from a distance. And when the youth pastor tried to talk to them to explain rules of games and stuff it took like 10 minutes to get them to stop talking and I remembered why I will never teacher middle and high school in a public school. :-) Anyways, I mostly hung out with one of the middle school girls, she's 12 (maybe 13?) and she's awesome. When we played sardines, we were picked to hide together, and it took 20 minutes before anyone found us, hahaha. I'd like to play sardines with adults some day, because they'd play it right. With the youth they're all SO LOUD when they play, and when we were found they all yelled and weren't quiet about it at all, or traveled in big groups so everybody found you at once. It was annoying. "Hey! Are you the ones hiding?" No, we're just bored of playing and decided to take a nap. Ugh. And one of the boys who was either 11 or 12, seemed facinated by me because he kept asking me a million questions. "You're in college? You don't live with your parents? What is your job going to be after college?" Hahaha.
As my break has gone on, my regular bedtime of 1:30-2:00 AM has slowly changed to 3:00-4:00. NOT good. Because then I wake up around 1 PM. But at night I get so much done! I get caught up watching movies/tv, cleaning, or whatever and I just get on a roll. And I'm never tired. I'm not tired but I go to sleep fast. But that's just during the break really. During the school year I get SO tired even when I get enough sleep each night, and end up taking too many naps. I need to find a better balance of sleep....
So I have goals for 2010, not "resolutions." And they're not for the whole year, it's just from now til May, which is quite long enough! I feel like reolutions are too big, to broad. Really vague, and they're supposed to last a year. Sometimes you can't say that you're going to do something for a whole year! You have to take it a day at a time sometimes! Or set smaller goals. The only "resolution" for 2010 I would say I have, that is very big, broad, and vague, is to make 2010 the best year of my life. I plan on doing this by stepping out of my normal, boring, stressful life and doing more fun things, not stay so busy, take more time to do things with other people, and do things that will make this year memorable instead of a blur. So, here's to 2010 being great.
As my break has gone on, my regular bedtime of 1:30-2:00 AM has slowly changed to 3:00-4:00. NOT good. Because then I wake up around 1 PM. But at night I get so much done! I get caught up watching movies/tv, cleaning, or whatever and I just get on a roll. And I'm never tired. I'm not tired but I go to sleep fast. But that's just during the break really. During the school year I get SO tired even when I get enough sleep each night, and end up taking too many naps. I need to find a better balance of sleep....
So I have goals for 2010, not "resolutions." And they're not for the whole year, it's just from now til May, which is quite long enough! I feel like reolutions are too big, to broad. Really vague, and they're supposed to last a year. Sometimes you can't say that you're going to do something for a whole year! You have to take it a day at a time sometimes! Or set smaller goals. The only "resolution" for 2010 I would say I have, that is very big, broad, and vague, is to make 2010 the best year of my life. I plan on doing this by stepping out of my normal, boring, stressful life and doing more fun things, not stay so busy, take more time to do things with other people, and do things that will make this year memorable instead of a blur. So, here's to 2010 being great.
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