the good byes begin
today (or yesterday, rather) was a day full of good byes. the first of many soon to come.
today was the last day of school. though i am completely sure that the public/charter school, junior high setting is not where i need to be, i am really going to miss my kids. i was surprised to see how many of them were actually sad to be leaving. that makes it even harder to say good bye. i really had very precious students (see pictures below). they are, of course, typical junior high kids. but very precious, nonetheless.
i also sent a friend off to India this afternoon. i don't really think it's hit me yet that it's going to be another 14 months before i see her again. she will only be gone for 10, but my time in the DR stretches our time apart to 14. i have known her for a relatively short period of time, but in the past year she has become a very dear friend. i know she will be a huge blessing to all of those with whom she has relationships in India. neither she nor India will be the same, and i look forward to hearing about it.
2 months
exactly
it occured to me while i was running this morning. today is may 18th. i leave on july 18th. for those who, like me, aren't good at math, that's exactly 2 months that i have left. WoW. it's still very surreal to me. in two months i'll be on a plan to the caribbean. i will stay there for 5 months. i'll return to the US for appx. 3 weeks, but go back again for another 7 months. i will be LIVING in the Dominican Republic. this is no vacation. this is LIFE. i wonder if it will hit me once i'm actually on the plane...or when i step foot on the DR land...or once i've been there a few weeks...a few months...or maybe not even till i get back. somebody pinch me, please...
found: roommate!
i was just now scrolling back through some of my previous posts and realized i haven't given an update on my roommate search and car selling endeavors.
thanks to CriagsList, i have found an awesome girl to take my place in my apt. for the next year. it is such a blessing because she will be able to use ALL of my furniture plus much of my other stuff. that means less packing and storing for me. yea!
the car is still for sale. i looked it up on edmunds.com and am asking a little under what that gives me for a private seller price. again, if you or anyone you know is looking for a great SUV with good gas milage (for an SUV), please let me know. asking price starts at $17,500 OBO it will be available anytime after may 25th (assuming my friends here don't mind totin' me around for about 6 weeks...)
oh, and one final update. an official departure date has been set! i fly out of DFW bright and early (7am!) tuesday morning, july 18, 2006. i'll arrive in santiago around 9 that night. oh man, what a day.
again...
More DIVA action from 6th, 8th and 9th grade girls (and Pablo sneaking in the background).
This is Ms. Shoemate (me...) with the 7th grade girls. So cute!
And this is me with 8th grade girls. They're such DIVA's!
7A & 7C
Here we have 7A (to the right): Gulchin, Ibrahkhim, Sardal, Maria, Jasmine, Lizbeth, Erica, Lilian, Valeria, Jacqueline, Zarya, Dulce, Melissa, Sandra, Rafael, Ms. Nowedzelski, Mujgan, Feride, Maria, Joe-Angel, Edgar and William.
This is class 7C (to the left): David, Michael, Irfan, Michael, Nicholas, Kumail, Jorge, Christian, Maribel, Celida, Karen, Daniel, Danny, Chelsea, Miranda and Lizeth.
my kids
I'm finally posting some pics of my kids.
This first picture is of 7th grade: Gulchin (Russia), Mujgan (Russia), Feride (Russia), Dulce (Mexico), Maria (Mexico), William (Puerto Rico), Sandra (Hondurus), Ibrakhim (Russia), Melissa (Mexico), Sardal (Russia), and down front is Edgar (Hondurus) - Eduar's twin and Sofia's cousin (both in 8th grade).
Here are my beautiful 8th graders. From L to R we have Eduar (Hondurus), Sofia, (Hondurus), Kathy (Cuba), and Dulce(Mexico).
There are more to come, but I've found blogger doesn't like me to post too many at a time, so there will be subsequent postings.
it's FRIDAY!
FINALLY. unfortunately, fridays are not as exciting to me as for most people. i am excited about the weekend, but fridays are a torture day for me - i have NO planning period, and then we have clubs after school. so i'm around kids from 8:30-4:00 with NO break except a 30 minute lunch.
but today is different.
for one thing, including today, i only have 2 fridays left at this school (for one I will be gone to a wedding). wow. i can't believe it's almost the end.
the second thing is: today is picture day, which means it's also free dress day - the kids don't have to wear their navy uniforms. it's a lot of fun to see them in their normal clothes.
a third thing is, it rained and stormed a TON last night. i even went and ran through it a bit. it was FREEZING, but also freeing. i love rain.
since it's still kinda rainy today, it's free dress day, it's friday, and it's the end of the year, i know that NOBODY is gonna be focused today. so it's a free day all around. we're taking pictures and chatting and hanging out. so much fun.
as much as i've complained about this job over the past 9 months, i really am thankful for the freedom i have in it. and i truly will miss these kids.
speechless
me: Thanks so much for your willingness to give.
financial supporter: It's not my money, I'm just watching over it until God wants it back. So you're welcome to whatever you need.
blown away
i am so completely blown away by the loving, giving spirits of those i call my "family" at church. this weekend i received yet another check for a very large amount of money as support to go to the DR. this now makes me close to about 75% of the way to being fully funded. WoW! i am so humbled by the generosity of those i know. seriously...i'm speechless...
the list
since a few people have expressed a desire to read the list i previously posted about, i am now going to post it. it is still incomplete, so feel free to leave suggestions to fill this up to 100. there are a few things that are not appropriate for the wider public, so those have been stared out. sorry to disappoint you.
my list of 100 things i will do to go from uptight to laid-back:
- change the toilet paper roll in the women's staff bathroom at work when needed
- say "I love you" to those i love
- quit wearing a watch - and never buy a new one
- learn about people before i decide who they are
- love
- and be loved in return (ode to moulin rouge)
- sing loud, even if it's off key
- give freely
- give generously
- play my guitar
- be genuinly interested in others
- listen more
- remember that it's not about me
- write more
- stop biting my lip/cheek
- call (or email) my family when i think about them
- go hiking
- go biking
- go climbing
- cook
- bake
- make time to visit old friends, even if it means a weekend drive out of town
- make time to visit family, even if it means a weekend drive out of town
- volunteer with HFH (habitat for humanity)
- dance
- play in the rain
- ** ******* (**** **********)
- quit wearing make up all the time
- let people cut in front of me while driving
- stand in the long line at the grocery store
- find at least one good thing in everything that stresses me out
- stop dwelling on things
- go with the flow
- laugh at myself
- make mistakes
- smile
- give more hugs
- rejoice with others
- cry with others
- take risks - both physical and emotional
- do what i want
- talk to strangers
- conciously create my day
- use my Spanish with confidence
- play
- be more impulsive
- stay up late
- let my emotions be real
- have people over more often
- sit on my balcony and watch the sunset
- be spontaneous
- stop over thinking
- help people
- enjoy people
- laugh every day
- assume and expect the best from everyone
- be thankful
- speak what's on my mind
- go out more/be more social
- choose to love my students
- give verbal compliments
- committ random acts of kindness
- do everything with confidence
- serve others
- limit all stressful thoughts and feelings to 5 minutes
- pray more
- stop crossing my arms
- stop fidgeting with my clothes
- be comfortable at all times
- enjoy watching the sunrise as i drive to work each morning
- invite interruptions
- if it's not positive, i won't say it (or think it)
- no more excuses
- live TODAY, not tomorrow
- be real
- trust more
- do the things i fear
- be more open
- be more blunt
- be more decisive
- daydream
- initiate
- listen to more country music
- always look for the good in everything
- dwell on the positive, not the negative
- quit thinking about myself
- push my limits
- stop fake punching/kicking
- quit saying sheesh and geeze
- give direct answers
- **** ** *** **** ;-)
ok folks, i've got 9 left...what should i add?
