Field Trip

I'm taking the kids outside of school this week for the first time.

We're going on a field trip to the farm. In friggin' Santa Ana -- HOW MUCH FURTHER CAN WE GO?!?!? :P (This explains my avatar change -- no I suddenly do not have an obsession with farm animals.)

Obviously I am a bit apprehensive. I think that's why I got a zit and had a stomachache all weekend.

Oy....

Life is moving full speed ahead....

a bit stressed over the weekend. Working overtime on Saturday, checking out wedding venues, talking real estate, planning my week, completing homework....*whew*!

But I love it! :)

Wedding Planning...

There's quite a bit on my mind lately considering the wedding planning. Certain pieces are coming together but it's the last bit of commitment that's difficult. Haha...I have commitment issues. Not with Damon, obviously, but with the hefty deposits we have to put down.

Speaking of, anyone have any recommendations for...

wedding planners?
caterers?

...keeping in mind that we are on a VERY tight budget, please. :)

Productive

I am SOOO productive. Seriously! It's only been two weeks since the new year, and I've already gotten my butt in gear concerning school stuff. I am definitely on my way with the wedding planning stuff. And my room is starting to resemble an actual living space again. Of course, I also managed to catch and almost recover from a cold. :)

I'm soooo good :) MuHAHAHAHAHAHA.

And also modest. hehehehehe :)

MLK, Jr.

Ms. R: Who remembers what we talked about Martin Luther King, yesterday?

A: He was a man and he changed the rules and he wanted black people and white people to be friends.

D: Ms. R! It's not nice to say black people.

Ms. R: Oh, D, I think you're thinking about how some people prefer to say African-American instead of black. But some people don't want to be called African-American because their families are not actually from Africa. So now, it's okay to say black as long as you're not saying it in a mean way.

D: Oh....Ms. R? Why don't they just call them PEOPLE?




**********


I LOVE my kids. :)

New Year's Resos.

So yesterday was my first day back with the kids. We didn't have a lot to do, so I took about an hour to teach them/review with them the calendar, the months of the year, days of the year, etc. It took about an hour for them to understand what 2006 and 2007 means and why we're in January and why it's not the same "year" anymore. Time is such a complicated thing to understand.

But anyway, since we finally accomplished this New Year concept, today I taught them that adults make resolutions for the new year, blah blah blah and wouldn't they like to make some too? They were so cute and they really started to understand what it meant, so I thought I'd post a few of my favorites here: :)

* I promise to drink milk every day.
* I will help people.
* I will be healthy and strong!
* I promise to be a good friend and be nice.
* I will try to learn to count to 100.
* I will write a note to my cousin.
* I will brush my teeth every night.
* I will listen to the teacher more.

...Some of them are so simple, but so powerful at the same time. The "I will help people" one really struck me. Why didn't I make a resolution like that?

I learn so much from these kids every day -- sometimes, more than they learn from me, I think.

Happy New Year!

Well, this year has been quite the eventful one. Reflecting over it, I don't see much of a change in me, personally -- but I do see a great change in my life's "plot," so to speak. If my life were a movie this might be getting close to the climax :)

In 2006, I:

had my dreams come true. I spent the last 3 months of 2006 a happily engaged girly after a super birthday at the "happiest place on earth." :)

discovered what I was meant to do. That is, I found a terrific job at a terrific school and discovered that I was completely happy with it! There's no better feeling than driving home after a long hard day at work and SMILE as you fight the traffic.

saw new parts of the world. Just a week ago HoHo and I were traveling Hong Kong and Japan -- what an awesome treat after a long year of work! :)

worked the hardest I ever have. After finishing up my bachelors' degrees in May '05, I started school again in June and finished up in July '06. Five days later I was working at my job and have been hard at work until I took my long-awaited vacation in November. :)

I finally feel like I am starting on my adult life and I am so happy for it. I can't wait to FINALLY start living a real and true life as a teacher, a wife, a mom... (although not TOO soon) :) I think up until now it's just been "growing up" until I could get to this point -- the point where I can finally do something with my life and see the fruits of my labor really take hold (that's figuratively, mind you).

As for resolutions, I looked up my list from last year...I suppose I'll keep the same ones and scratch out the one that I have accomplished :P

1. Secure a good job at a good school upon completion of my degree.
2. Be financially independent from my parents by December of '06. [AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! What was I thinking? Be financially independent in less than 6 months???]
3. Start a paper-pen journal and really reflect on my life.
4. Read a chapter of a book every day - recreational reading, not for school.
5. Actually be really and truly organized, and not just pretend to be. [By the looks of my room at the moment, not going to happen.]
6. Graduate with a perfect GPA. [I was so darn close. Oh well.]
7. Dedicate more quality weekend time to Damon -- not just running errands with him.
8. Try and be more helpful around the house. [Still must work on this.]
9. Be a better mommy to Charlie. [Still must work on this.]
10. Try harder to be healthy -- not just to lose weight, but to really be healthy....which leads to: [Still must work on this.]
11. trying to develop a genuine liking for exercise. [Might be impossible.]
12. Develop at least two new skills within the year.
13. Learn to cook more dishes.
14. Learn enough Cantonese to have an actual conversation with Damon's grandma.
15. Save money.
16. Actually get an oil change every 4 months.
17. Lose weight and fit into my old clothes again.[REALLY must work on this.]
18. Donate blood more frequently.[Still must work on this.]

It's funny...I didn't lose weight all year (just fluctuated) until late late Saturday night...or early Sunday morning technically 3:00 a.m. New Year's Eve when I got hit with a very violent case of food poisoning. After that horrible experience and the ensuing nausea that came with any kind of food that was not fruit, water, or clear broth, I have now officially lost 3 pounds. What a start to 2007, huh? :)