Been Awhile

So I just realized how I get stuff done. Last night I was playing Guitar Hero World Tour with my family (Geof, Alisha, RayD, and Alonzo) and while I was rocking out on the drums and guitar, I stopped for a second. I stopped to really look at the screen and I for the first time noticed just how fast those colored lights were appearing on screen. But as fast and as multi-layered they came, I was able to hit about 97% of them. It's so funny because just over a year ago, when I first picked up that silly little guitar controller, I couldn't get through 25% of a song on Easy! Now I can easily score 95 % on medium. If someone were to tell 18 year Jewely that at 29 I would be in my 8th year of teaching (middle school students, yikes), married for over 3 years, living in a beautiful 3 bedroom, 2 bath house, coaching the 5/6th grade volleyballt team twice a week afterschool, being the student council advisor, and being a graduate student at Fresno State, I would have dropped that controller and said no way, I can't do that. But it's funny, just like I play Guitar Hero, I can zone out and focus on the indivdual parts of the task at a time and before I notice it, I've completed my song pretty successfully. Now, once again, just like with Guitar Hero, by no means am I at the Expert level, but slowly but surely, I'm trying to get there, one flashing light at a time. By the way, Guitar Hero may be silly, but it sure is fun.

Happy 4th of July 2008!

Geof and I had a pretty mellow fourth of July here at our house. While the Lickey's were at the Nazarene Family Camp, the Lopez's were sick/tired, Geof and I stayed home with our pups Dora and Daisy. We sat on our front porch watching the Sanger High fireworks show. Now, I must have taken over 90 pics and I only got a couple of okay shots. To see some professional firework pictures take a look at Jerelyn's blog. I'm so jealous. heehee

Trip to Los Angeles, 07-08

So Geoffie and I went to Los Angeles on the 28th and 29th. He went to work on computers, I went to shop and visit my favorite cousin Alisha. We had so much fun, made me miss L.A. :(

This is the Starbucks I first worked at in Culver City. I think I took a picture of a ghost on the street! Yowza@


Here is my Geoffie when I picked him up afterwork. I know what he's saying, "How much did she spend shopping?"























Here's beautiful Alisha exiting Old Navy! That
little boy is in love with her! Watch out Alonzo!

The Santa MOnica Promenade was and still is one of my favorite places to visit in L.A.!

Alisha and I enjoying our yummy and healthy bacon-wrapped hot dogs in Hollywood!

Alisha and my soon to be cousin-in law Alonzo. They are so cute!




A pretty dark shot of the Mann Chinese Theatre. We saw Get Smart, I was soooooooooooooo tired but the movie was very funny.

Hello all,

Okay so I haven't really kept up with the whole blogging updates so let me see here...

Well first of all, as you can see from my picture here on the left, I have a huge scratch/cut on my forehead, long story short, it involved a straightener and a burn that I irritated by scratching.  The mark is kinda distracting to my summer school kids.  One student seriously asked me a couple days ago if it was a hickey.  Really, I didn't make that up.  

Speaking of summer school, I started teaching two weeks ago.  I've taught summer school every summer for the past 5-6 years.  Never have had a problem till this year.  I've never been insulted by so many middle school students in such a short period of time (at least not to my face).  It's been very hard to say the least.  I have not come home crying from a day of teaching since my first year in L.A.  Well, last week I was so frustrated with their behavior I just broke down when I got home.  Thank God I have such a sweet understanding husband to help pick my head up and keep trying.  This week was not the best, but it was better.

Geof and I are heading to L.A. on Saturday and Sunday.  I will be sure to post pics from the Santa Monica Promenade. 

First Week of Summer Break

Well, thank you to Jerelyn for getting me started with the whole blogging thing here.

First week of summer break is here. It's not really a true break because I will be teaching summer school at WAMS for four weeks, starting next week. So during my vacation weeks, my true sleeping patterns emerge. If it were up to me, I would stay up till about 3am every morning. Wake up around 9-10am. Take a couple hour long nap from 2-4pm, and start all over again. heehee, i wish! Here are a few pics from this week. I've been spending some time relaxing at home with the husband and pups.

I can not believe another year of teaching has passed. This was my 7th year of teaching and it went by the fastest. People might think teaching the same subjects (Life and Physical Science) year after year might get repetitive, but each set of kids brings new adventures.

Examples:

Year 1: Hearing a kid tell me "I hope you die"

Year 2: Catching girls pierce their own belly buttons in the girls restroom

Year 3: Nearly destroying a student's science fair project driving it to the district science fair

(remember that Liz?)

Year 4: Saving a kid from choking on a swallowed guitar pick in my class.

Year 5: Meeting a great lifelong friend (even if she would rather be teaching at the high school)

Year 6: Nearly winning the district 5th/6th grade girls volleyball championship as head coach

Year 7: Helping send 7 of my students to the state science fair

Even though there are times when I look at a pile of homework/tests that I need to grade and think, what's the point?

Even though there are times when I feel unappreciated by my students, students parents, and administration and think why do I work so hard?

Even though there are times when I look at my pay stub and think, is this what I am worth?

All it takes is one student to say, "Thank you" and mean it and I know why I do what I do.