Wow it really has been a long time since I have been on Xanga.  So much has happened since I graduated.  I keep telling myself that I will come on here and write.  I would love to come on here and write everyday like I did before.  I find that very hard to do.  In one of my writing classes we had to start a writing notebook and that is what I have been writing all my thoughts in recently, even though the class is now over. 

This school year is now more than into full swing.  We recently celebrated our 100th day of school.  If some of you do not know I have been teaching preschool at Curtis Kindergarten and Preschool.  I have the older preschool class.  All my kids are now 5, except for one and he will turn 5 on Valentine's Day.  It has been an interesting year to say the least.  I have definetly grown a lot.  I have dealt with situations I thought I would never have to deal with.  I now have one diabetic student who has to have an insulin shot everyday.  Since we do not have an official nurse at our school I am the one who gives her a shot everyday.  I also have a student that is now on an all natural diet which requires me to do special things for him.  I feel that the stuff that goes on in that classroom is never ending.  I have had my fair share of drama.  Overall though it has been a great experience and I have definetly found some lifelong friends and I feel more welcomed in the community of Searcy.  In a way it is great to go to Wal-Mart and run into several people that you know.   

I am also still dispatching at the Public Safety office on the weekends.  Fortunately that has been pretty uneventful which is great!  The supervisor that worked on my shift ever since I have been there is now moved to Parking Services.  Now my supervisor for the day shift is just there temporarily and my husband is my supervisor in the evenings.  It has been interesting to say the least.  It is a big change to try and readjust to.  Again though it has overall been great.  I have also made some new lifelong friends through this office.

I am now into my second semester in grad. school.  I am getting my Masters in Reading and will be done with that in July.  I will graduate yet again...YEAH!  Working on this program along with teaching and having a second job has made m realize how much I truly am able to balance and handle things.  Sometimes I feel that I am running myself into the ground.  At other times I know that I can do, I get pure joy out of it, and I would not have it any other way.  Last semester I took 12 hours and this semester I am taking 14.  It is amazing.  I am getting a lot done and I seem to constantly have to be reading.  I think the thing that is going to stretch me the most this semester is my Social and Cultural Issues in Education class.  It is very interesting so far.  I come away very energized and ready to talk Jason's ear off when I get home. 

There are many other issues that have popped up in my life.  To maintain the intergrity of family and friends I am not going to go there.  There has been many tears shed though.  It definetly has been a rough year for my family.  I wish that was not the case.  I keep trying to remind myself that God does not give us more than we can handle, but I do feel that they are testing my mother.  Please pray for her, she seems to be the one that is having to deal with the brunt of it all.  Last week I also received a telephone call from my father.  He told me that my cousin died.  This was definetly heart breaking for me.  At the same time I was in many ways relieved for her because she suffered so much.  She lived with cistic fibrosis since we were pretty young.  That is a very hard life to lead.  She apparently planned out her entire funeral before she died.  She was definetly a different person and thought different, which made her very fun.  She apparently had a purple casket with lime green lining.  That just shows you different.  But is great.  I regret that I was not able to go to the funeral due to grad classes and everyhting else that is going on here.  I loved Crystal though.  I have many fond memories of growing up with her and in many ways I am glad that I was away when she was the sickest so I can maintain my image of her as children.  The fun-loving girl who was in love with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and who was an excellent drum player.  I love you Crystal. 

The next several months are going to be hard too.  But I am going to take them a day at a time as I always do.  I know that I will finish the craziness in my life and my family will make it through all they are struggling with.  I know that I have learned more than ever that God truly loves me, he truly loves my family, and he can provide people to love us when we need it.  There is a special friend that I now have that has been wonderful and I want to thank her.  I would not have made it through the past couple of months without her.  You know who you are.  I hope everyone else is doing well and I hope to talk to you soon.  

In light of the up coming event I would like to post my favorite thing to read around graduation time!

Oh, the Places You'll Go! 

Congratulations!

Today is your day.You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoesYou can steer yourselfany direction you choose.

You're on your own.  And you know what you know.

And YOU  are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.  Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,you're too smart 

to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find anyyou'll want to go down.

In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener therein the wide open air.Out there things can happen

and frequently doto people as brainyand footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,don't worry.  Don't stew.Just go right along.

You'll  start happening too.OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! 

You'll be on your way up!You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high flierswho soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.Except when you don' t

Because, sometimes, you won't.I'm sorry to say sobut, sadly, it's true

and Hang-upscan happen to you.You can get all hung upin a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurchwith an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted.  But mostly they're darked.

A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!Do you dare to stay out? 

Do you dare to go in?How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF  you go in, should you turn left or right...or right-and-three-quarters?

Or, maybe, not quite?Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,for a mind-maker-upper to make up

his mind.You can get so confusedthat you'll start in to racedown long

wiggled roads at a break-necking paceand grind on for miles across

weirdish wild space,headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place......for people just waiting.Waiting for a  train

to goor a bus to come, or a plane to goor the mail to come,

or the rain to goor the phone to ring, or the snow to snowor waiting

 around for a Yes or a Noor waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.Waiting for the fish to biteor waiting for wind

 to fly a kiteor waiting around for Friday nightor waiting, perhaps,

 for their Uncle Jakeor a pot to boil, or a Better Breakor a sting of pearls,

 or a pair of pantsor a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.NO!That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escapeall that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright placeswhere Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!There are points to be scored.

there are games to be won.And the magical things you can do with

 that ballwill make you the winning-est winner of all.Fame!  

You'll be famous as famous can be,with the whole wide world watching

 you win on TV.Except when they don't.Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some  timesyou'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win'cause you'll play against you.

All  Alone!Whether you like it or not,Alone will be somethingyou'll 

be quite a lot.And when you're alone, there's a very good chanceyou'll

meet things that scare you right out of your pants.There are some, 

down the road between hither and yon,that can scare you so much you

won't want to go on.But on you will gothough the weather be foulOn

you will gothough your enemies prowlOn you will gothough the 

Hakken-Kraks howlOnward up manya frightening creek, 

though your arms may get soreand your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hikeand I know you'll hike farand face up to your 

problemswhatever they are.You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.

You'll get mixed upwith many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.Step with care and great tactand remember that 

Life'sa Great Balancing Act.Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never  mix up your right foot with your left.And will you succeed?Yes!

You will, indeed!(98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!So...be your name Buxbaum 

or Bixby or Brayor Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!Your mountain is waiting.So...get on your way!

---Dr. Seuss

No more paying Harding for me...YES!

One day I will remember to update this thing on a regular basis...till then...well I really do not know!  So what is up with me?  I spent Monday through Thursday of this week in Seminars all day long.  Then Thursday I went and visited my two student teaching placements.  I believe that I am going to like both of the classes pretty well.  Then on Friday I had my first full day of student teaching.  That was fun!  I have a long and hard semester ahead of me.  It will get done though and I am going to have a smile on my face the entire time. 

In other news...Jason and I officially decided we hate apartment life for sure!  We have some of the loudest and worst neighbors in the world.  And that is below us, beside us, and across the hall from us!  We are surrounded by complete morons!

Right now I am currently searching the internet for Penguin "stuff" for my kids to learn about.  If anyone knows some cool facts about penguins let me know so I can incorporate it...cause frankly I am pretty dumb in the subject of penguins!

Well I guess I better get off of here...I am at work and have plenty of work to do!  Lov ya'll!