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 Posted: Sun Jun 03, 2007 4:00 pm
Entry #1 It's Rantin' Time!
Hah so I actually start one of these, mostly to rant since I don't do enough of that.
Let's see...I'm really getting tired of a lot of people online lately. There's two in particular I can think of. One is on my LJ Friends page and the other is from yahoo IM. Both people complain way too much. See, they'll complain, but they won't fix their problems or try to. The one is complaining about having money to take a college course come this next semester. Only, here's the thing: she spends all her money on pointless stuff. Not as in junk, but moreso like a packrat. Apparently she loves to shop at bath and body works. Great store, good stuff. Problem is, she buys way too much of it and knows she won't use it for awhile. The last time she was saying she had so many soaps and lotions but was still going to the semi-annual sale and would probably end up buying stuff she doesn't even need. How does she "attempt" to solve it? By hiding one of her three credit cards...what a lot of good that'll do... she's been complaining of such lack of funding for months, yet she doesn't spend wisely. She splurges on toiletries and books and other junk. In short, no pity for her.
The other girl constantly complains about her life and how it sucks. Only problem is, myself and others have tried to give her advice on where to start fixing things, but she has an excuse for why she can't take that particular bit of advice. It's insane. It's as though she'd just rather stay where she is in life and be able to complain about that. She comes up with all these ideas and things she wants to do and doesn't try to reach the goals. Goals are pointless if you create them and then do nothing to reach them.
Okay now that's off my chest I feel a whole lot better...
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Posted: Mon Jun 04, 2007 5:04 pm
Entry #2
Slow day, slow day. Daycare though and Tren was quite full of herself, as was her sister Tyla. I have never seen two sisters play so well together for that age. Tren is 2 and Tyla is 9 1/2 mos. They were playing after Tren's nap today and you could just sit back and watch them go.
I did get the chance to play DDR again today. We have the DDR: SuperNova for the PS2. I had never played DDR before we'd gotten it but I'm getting better. I can do almost any song on beginner and then a few songs that are basic with the 2 feet rating and get an A. I was pretty proud of myself cause I got an A on Flow, which goes from really fast to fast and back again. I'm still not ready to do a lot of songs on basic so I just practice on beginner, but I'm probably better than 2 of my siblings by now. I'm only using it to help me exercise though. We'll see how that works out.
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Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 7:43 pm
Entry #3
(Copied from my LJ entry for the night)
Bit early to be thinking about it, but I already know when I'll be heading back to the 'Ville. I finally got in contact with Kipp and told him I wanted to help with freshmen move-in. Really I just want to go back early. I actually need to anyway since I'm a Student Marshal and have to help with convocation. I didn't get to do it last year, but I want to do it this year. So Kipp told me everyone who's helping will be meeting August 16th. I have contacted Dr. Bolton to see if I can stay with her on the 15th overnight since I have no idea what time Kipp will be having the meeting with the group. She hasn't emailed back yet to confirm it, but I'm sure it'll be okay. And if not I'll just be leaving super early on the 16th. If I leave on the 15th I leave on dad's birthday, but mom doesn't even know when Ryan goes to move in at WVU so they could be going there that day too; never know.
Got things squared away for EE. They already have the schedules online for training and it should be a bit better this year. They are having the swearing in ceremony the first night instead of as the very last thing for one. I am also driving down this year. Angie is going with me, as is a girl named Courtney. She's to be a first year mentor. They're both helping on gas money so I don't mind doing it at all. We should all fit comfortably in my car with our stuff at least. I know the way pretty well, at least until after we get off exit 99, but I have the directions so we should be good.
Oh and I almost forgot. I ordered the newest Maximum Ride book today, the one that came out on the 29th of May. It was a spur of the moment thing, but Ryan was getting a few books that were recommended for students to read before college. He's strange like that sometimes, but he was using a $10 Borders card and mom was paying the other nineteen on his order. The book was $10, but I didn't have to pay shipping as Ryan had ordered enough for free shipping. I was going to get the book later this summer as it was, but I cannot pass up free shipping since normally I'd pay $5 or $6 just for that. In short, I shall have a new book soon biggrin
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 11:50 am
Entry #4
Wow, Energy Express has kept me very busy and has flown by. There's only two weeks of the program left and I'm so sad sad It's my last year and I am going to miss all the kids.
My success story kid is certainly going to be a success smile Not only did he go from hating books to loving books about cats and a few other odd ones, but he's also blossomed. He interacts more with others and talks a lot more too. Granted, it's about blowing up everyone... he'll come up and say "I'm putting bombs in your hair" and such. It's nice to see him being social with others for once.
My second, secret success attempt is also working well. There's this one girl that everyone deems bad. I don't remember much of her from last year, but this year people were still saying it about her. So I decided to be different and get to know the girl. I started writing letters and signed them with a star and the words "the mentor who always signs with a star" because that's what I do with all my kids' notes. She figured me out a week later and we've been writing back and forth. I've loaned her my GBA each morning to play and gotten to talk to her a lot. I really like her and she adores me. I'm attempting to see if she can go on the youth group trip with my church. I'm not part of the youth group, but my siblings are. They can't go on the trip so I'm taking their place and I sent a letter home to the girl's parents today asking permission for her to go. I want her to. It's free for her, so why not? We'll see what happens if her mom calls me back tonight.
The college finally released the textbook list for the fall. My books were pretty cheap except for the stupid physical education for elementary students. Stupid book is $93 used... such a pain. Book total if I got all of them from the bookstore is $260, which isn't bad. But I think I could do better so off I go bargain hunting for textbook deals!
On a final note I'm doing something totally unlike me online... but you know, I really don't care. It's just to that point and I don't mind what I'm doing at all.
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Posted: Fri Jul 20, 2007 6:14 pm
Entry #5
The girl can go; I'm so happy and excited. Her mom called me about an hour after my previous entry. She sounded so nice on the phone and was glad about the entire thing. Apparently the girl doesn't get to go places very often so this is a treat for her. I'm as excited as a little kid myself... time to plan the small details of the trip!
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 10:22 am
Yay! Good job. =D I think it's really cool that you are helping out these kids. ^^
Reputations have a nasty way of altering a person's self-confidence and reforming their own opinions about themselves... Sounds like you are helping this girl break out of that. ^^ Good luck. <3
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Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 5:29 pm
FrozenIntellect Yay! Good job. =D I think it's really cool that you are helping out these kids. ^^
Reputations have a nasty way of altering a person's self-confidence and reforming their own opinions about themselves... Sounds like you are helping this girl break out of that. ^^ Good luck. <3 hehe thanks a lot. I'm really glad I could do all this for her and best of all I've a new friend. She's my secret success story and one I'm most proud of.
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 2:42 pm
Entry #6
Gah I just need a place to rant... my brother makes me so angry. He is only home while the family is on vacation because he wanted to get hours in working. I ******** hate him, I really do. I'm the one left in charge of the house and cleaning and washing and such. So he comes out today and gets mad because I didn't wash his stuff on cold/cold. How was I supposed to know? He was the one to throw his clothes in the machine and then not wash them before he left yesterday. He wasn't answering his cell and he didn't get home til almost 1 am. I had to clothes so I just did his too, thinking I'd be nice. Apparently it was a bad thing because I always wash stuff on warm/cold. So I told him to just wash his own clothes and I'd keep my own stuff separate and wash my way. He has to fold his stuff anyway. He didn't like that either, lazy ********. So we had to call mom and she just told him the same thing and he hated that and said that if I screwed up his stuff he was going to go in my room and grab a shirt and cut it in half. And he said he'd do it becuase mom wasn't here to stop him.
It really upsets me and hurts too. I'm the one in charge. I've always been left on my own but she just had to let him stay home this year. I hate him and you won't change my mind on that; he thinks he's God or something. As of right now I'm hoping he'll ******** up college or something. He deserves it after the way he treats everyone.
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Posted: Sun Jul 22, 2007 7:55 pm
Wow. He sounds like those junior high kids who are so confused about themselves they take it out on everyone else. O.o; But.. yeah.. good luck with that. xD I have two bros but for the MOST part (though I'll never admit it to them) they are both really reasonable. =] Maybe yours will grow out of it. <3
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:45 pm
FrozenIntellect Wow. He sounds like those junior high kids who are so confused about themselves they take it out on everyone else. O.o; But.. yeah.. good luck with that. xD I have two bros but for the MOST part (though I'll never admit it to them) they are both really reasonable. =] Maybe yours will grow out of it. <3 Doubtful. Mom thinks he's bipolar. I've been thinking that since he was 13... and he's 18 now.
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Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:50 pm
Entry #7
Okay so Energy Express made up for all of last night. I love that program. Seems so many mentors complain at the end of the day, but I love it so much. I love all the kids and going through the day with them. And it's my rule to never yell at them or take things away from them, like parties or such. There's a mentor that does that and it just pisses me off. I'm not the only one though. There's at least two other people who want to strangle her along with me...
So more on my adventures with Taylor. Since my family's on vacation, I'm bored in the evenings. There's no daycare or such and I miss the babies. Which reminds me that the mentors are complaining of being sick... I'm not sick, but I suppose that's because I'm around daycare all the time. Anyway, back to Taylor. I told her I'd take her to see Harry Potter 5 or to the county fair the next county over, her choice. She hasn't decided yet, but I talked to her mom again tonight and she agreed to let Taylor go with me, whatever she decides. Taylor will go with me after Energy Express until whenever that evening. I'm so excited!
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 9:47 am
Entry #8
Gah so Taylor wasn't here today. I have no idea why. I was so sad. I had no idea that her being absent would make me feel like that. I was sad another one of my kids missed too because we had the fire truck here today and it was something he would have loved to see.
But back to Taylor. I'm going to ring her up today and see why she was absent. I just have to wait until her mom is around, but that could vary. One day she called me after 3, yesterday was after 4. I wanted to see if Taylor could go out for dinner and her mom had said today was one of the good days to do it. Maybe I'll wait until 4 to call and hope they didn't go to the new house yet to move things. Gah I wish she woulda been here!
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Posted: Tue Jul 24, 2007 6:14 pm
Entry #9
So I rung Taylor up and finally got a call back a half hour ago. Taylor talked to me and told me that the birthday party she went to last night she ended up staying overnight at. S'all good. She's decided we're going to the fair tomorrow though which I'm glad she chose. I secretly wanted her to choose that one. Then I talked her mom and we decided that Taylor would just stay overnight here afterwards. Her family apparently goes to bed at 9 and we wouldn't be getting home until after 10...so her mom is letting her stay here and I'd take her to Energy Express with me the next day.
Had to clean the house today as family is on vacation. Today wasn't so bad as Friday/Saturday are the big days for cleaning but I still hated it. It always gives me a headache, but it got all done and I was happy about it. And my brother's gone for the evening until who knows how late so all in all.
I'm on cloud 9!
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:43 pm
Entry #10 (Copied from my LJ)
don't know what it is. I don't know what I want to do anymore. I know I want to work with children, but I'm not sure if I want to do so as a teacher. I want to make a difference with children, but I don't know if I can handle the professionalism bit that goes along with it. I love being a mentor though, whether through Energy Express or through the college, or somewhere else. All the kids I've had in EE, Taylor, and Will, have all been under my care, but I feel that where I can make the most impact is with a child one on one. Will is a great kid and I'm going to try to do more with him this year. There has to be something that doesn't take place inside the school or is a mentor/mentee activity set up by the college. With Taylor, I didn't look; things just happened. The Hershey Park trip was a blessing in disguise. It was free and it was a way for her to get out and see things. Taylor needed attention. She wants someone to give her the attention she doesn't get as the middle child. She simply wants to be accepted and loved for who she is. Unknowingly, my letter writing idea has become so much more, and I've taken her under my wing. You can't not love her. She needs a positive role model and someone who will be her friend, not further berate her as the bad kid. Labels don't help her at all. I've had so much fun with her and getting to know her. I wouldn't be able to do this in a classroom at all. I only wish I would have gotten to work with her last year, gotten to know her then. Maybe then she wouldn't have gotten kicked out of the program. Maybe I could have made some difference. But that is the past, and not something to be dwelled on.
Which brings me back to not knowing what I want. I want my degree, but I'm not sure if the classroom is the right place for me. I love teaching little ones, but I also love the mentoring programs and I want to make a difference with a child, but I'm not sure if teaching is the way I want to do that. If I did do it through teaching, I'd need the freedom and open-mindedness. I think back on all the differences I've already made-Will, Taylor, Jacob. That's just with my school age kids. There's also the daycare and though they can't do much, I know that their development is benefiting from day trips and the attention they receive, not only from me but from my mom as well.
I've been saying I wish there was a way to be a 4th year mentor for Energy Express. If anything, that program cemented my wanting to work with children and make a difference. It made a difference in my life and helped me to grow over the years. I admit that I wasn't my best that first year, though everyone swears I was. I lacked the patience I have now with my children this year. Perhaps having such rowdy classes before prepared me for this current class. In Energy Express, my kids always come first, regardless. I will not let anyone yell at them and I won't raise my voice. I will use a firm tone when necessary, but my classroom is pretty much a very fun and open place to be. I can be creative, I can try new things, and most of all, I can be the friends they need. I too benefited from the program and grew as the years passed. I learned of the patience I needed with the children and my own ways to teach.
All I know is that I want to make a difference with children. I want my teaching degree, but I need a very open-minded and creative teaching program in which to expand. I want to be a mentor as well and keep on doing what I've been doing with children. I've got 2 semesters left with Will and Taylor I've got as long as she keeps in contact with me. They always say there'll be one or two kids you'll end up receiving letters from after the program ends, even years later. Maybe she will be that child and I will be that positive influence in her life.
My goals:
1. Do more with Will this semester outside of my requirements for the mentor course
2. Keep in touch with Taylor and keep up visits and trips when I'm home from school
3. Find a teaching position that fits me
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Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 6:56 pm
One idea: you could get a Title I position in teaching. Working with challenged or disabled kids not only means you have a smaller classroom (and can therefore get more one-on-one with the students), but you also would have more potential for impacting them long-term. Title I reading is my personal horribly biased recommendation, since helping someone who struggles with literacy improve that ability is one of the best ways to claim a positive permanent effect.
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