Favorite picture that represents my life at this moment.....

Ok, so I really have been trying to simplify my life, but somehow I cannot shake DRAMA...it pervades every aspect of my life.  Well, that is sorta bullshit.  I am Drama personified and all drama is magnetically drawn to me like a moth to a flame...It seems like it anyway.  But really I like this picture because of the awesome accessories....

Dead Fish Not Floating

Somedays I feel like my life is some big joke that exists primarily for the amusement of others.  On a good day I can laugh about the absurdities in my life...other days not so much.  Yesterday sucked, but maybe I will write about that another time.  Today I woke up on a mission to complete a lot of stuff (see yesterday someone who shall not be named told me I don't do enough - oh yeah that is another story)...so I hopped out of bed at 4am and ran downstairs to do some laundry and dishes.  When I got downstairs I was greeted by Georgia's dead fish stuck under a cement basketball decoration (which I am sure was greatly enjoyed by her fish, whatever his name was).  What the hell - did it drown? LOL...I am not sure how it got caught smushed up against the glass next to this basketball, but it did.  I thought dead fish floated - not this one.  Yesterday Georgia and Braden were washing the fish bowl with what seemed like an inordinate amount of soap.  I cautioned them to rinse it REALLY well.  I doubt that really had anything to do with whats-its-name's death...I didn't want to touch it so I moved the fishbowl to the table and sat at the counter and did my grading.  I thought about putting it in Georgia's room and letting her discover it, but that did not seem right.  I thought about flushing it down the toilet...I didn't.  When Georgia woke up I told her that something sad had happened.  She cried - she decided she wanted to bury it in the backyard (later, after school), then she got out of bed and took a shower.  I still have to get the fish out of the bowl.  Yuck.  Dead fish not floating.

Halle, Halle Blackberry

I went out Friday night with a group of friends.  While I was out having fun I misplaced my blackberry.  When I woke up on Saturday I was panic stricken that I could not find my phone.  I realized that it was a bit absurd to be SOOOOO upset, but my blackberry makes me feel like I have a little bit of control over my life even though a lot of what I have to do is determined by my four kids and my job.  Having my blackberry allows me to keep on top of my email and be reachable if my kids need me.  Ok, honestly I also get to SOCIALIZE if I have it and apparently I am a social being.  I get to check my facebook and I get to email with friends throughout the day even if I have to drive three hours to get my kids to and from school (of course not when I am actually driving) or whatever other inane things I need to be doing...When I stayed home with my kids I used to talk on the phone nonstop.  I don't like talking on the phone anymore, but I do like texting, emailing, facebooking about my life, reading the responses and keeping connected with what is going on in my friends' lives.  When I am having a good or bad day I like putting it out there and receiving the reactions - they often make me laugh and make it easier for me to move through the day.
I was a bit perplexed about how out of sorts I felt without it.  I was slightly shocked that I replaced it within 24 hours (albeit with a preowned one) and that it was in my hands by Monday at 6 (SIGH HAPPILY).  I now have insurance on my blackberry....7 bucks a month, but I realize now having insurance gives me peace of mind.  I am not sure how I feel about an object having that much importance in my life, but I am embracing the reality of it.  She is important to me and SO I am naming her.  I posted about the need for a name on facebook and my friends and I have determined that she shall be christened Halle, Halle Blackberry.  I hope we have a long and fruitful relationship....and if you need to judge me for it - oh well.  When I start naming my clothing - I will be worried and seek intervention...promise. 

What a ride....

I am teaching Freshman Seminar, Self and World for the first time...My bright idea for this course was for everyone to blog about their freshman journey....Clearly, this is not my freshman journey persay...But it is my first personal blog and it is my first time teaching this course.  Originally I thought that we would just have a classroom blog, but through discussion in class we decided to add a personal blog to the mix instead of journaling in a notebook.  Of course, one of my students wondered why I was not blogging too...Since I am a team player -  I am going along for the ride and because of this student, and she knows who she is, I am creating my personal blog.  I will admit that a friend of mine has been bugging me to start a blog as well, so I have been contemplating beginning a blog for a while.   Apparently my life or my take on my life seems to be ripe fodder for a blog.  We will see.  Irregardless, I love to learn and if my students are figuring this blogging thing out...well I should too.
I love my job.  I actually feel excited when I walk into TC3 and honestly look forward to seeing my students almost each and every day (I am human, so sometimes I am over it, just like they are over me :)).  My wish for each of my students is that they will get to figure out what they are passionate about and get to do it everyday.  One of my favorite things about teaching at TC3 is learning about the stories of my students.  Each and every one has a story that makes them unique.  I consider it my job to help them embrace who they are and harness their personal power as they set out to accomplish their goals.  I am constantly surprised and impressed by what we have all endured and what we are capable of accomplishing when we put our minds to it.
In addition to being passionate about my job and consequently the success of my students, I am a MOM....I have four children; Harrison, Wally, Braden and Georgia.  I was able to stay home with them for about ten years and only went to work full time about two years ago.  It has been a big adjustment for all of us and is constantly a juggling act, but I think it is good for them to see me working hard at a job I enjoy and more importantly one that adds meaning to my life.