after tuesday's running/walking adventure, i had blisters on my feet. this morning, the blisters were ripped open. then i came to school and got to stand out in the pouring rain, getting splashed by the cars that pulled up, and with muddy flood waters rolling over my feet. so many kids could not get their umbrellas open, get out of the car and shut the door at the same time. another reason why i DO NOT love car duty!
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
i DO NOT love chasing after a 6 year old that is covered in poop so that i can change his pull-ups and put him in clean clothes! i do not recall ever reading that in a school counseling job description, but i guess that's not one of the perks they tell you about in your interview. it's just one indication of how my day has gone today... but that's enough about that.
today, the second group of kindergarteners came to school. obviously, whoever organized the "a" group and "b" group had never met the children. the first two days with just "a" group were carefree. i did not have any criers (kids with separation anxiety) and it was a quiet two days. today was the extreme opposite. i had one screamer, which luckily the teachers dealt with because i was preoccupied with situation mentioned above. i also had a kindergartener who has been over-exposed to video games and i don't want to know what else. he told his teacher about bringing a gun to school and getting a holster for it like "50-cent". he also went on to describe in depth a group of people who sell "pills" and shoot people.
the one i will focus on though is the crier "I want to call my DADDY" who was absolutely adorable! it did take awhile to convince her that she should come down to my office with me instead of calling her dad, but after a few tactics to distract her, she decided to come with me. we named the mouse on her shirt "George," talked about meeting a secret puppet, and we determined that the gold sparkles on her shoes were special and would help her make it all the way down to my office (a LONG way for 5 year olds on the kindergarten hall). once we got down here, she was right at home, playing with the dollhouse. i made the mom in the family take the little girl to school and she caught right on telling the little girl what fun she could have at school. then we took the secret puppet (Mr. Frog) back up to her classroom and i stayed and participated for awhile. i got to listen to the gingerbread man story and then go on a hunt to find the gingerbread man all over the school. it was fun being a kindergartener for that part of the day.
oh the ups and downs of being an elementary school counselor. i just can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
today, the second group of kindergarteners came to school. obviously, whoever organized the "a" group and "b" group had never met the children. the first two days with just "a" group were carefree. i did not have any criers (kids with separation anxiety) and it was a quiet two days. today was the extreme opposite. i had one screamer, which luckily the teachers dealt with because i was preoccupied with situation mentioned above. i also had a kindergartener who has been over-exposed to video games and i don't want to know what else. he told his teacher about bringing a gun to school and getting a holster for it like "50-cent". he also went on to describe in depth a group of people who sell "pills" and shoot people.
the one i will focus on though is the crier "I want to call my DADDY" who was absolutely adorable! it did take awhile to convince her that she should come down to my office with me instead of calling her dad, but after a few tactics to distract her, she decided to come with me. we named the mouse on her shirt "George," talked about meeting a secret puppet, and we determined that the gold sparkles on her shoes were special and would help her make it all the way down to my office (a LONG way for 5 year olds on the kindergarten hall). once we got down here, she was right at home, playing with the dollhouse. i made the mom in the family take the little girl to school and she caught right on telling the little girl what fun she could have at school. then we took the secret puppet (Mr. Frog) back up to her classroom and i stayed and participated for awhile. i got to listen to the gingerbread man story and then go on a hunt to find the gingerbread man all over the school. it was fun being a kindergartener for that part of the day.
oh the ups and downs of being an elementary school counselor. i just can't wait to see what tomorrow brings.
Monday, August 28, 2006
i guess i can't even use the excuse that i've been extremely busy, because even people who have been as busy as i have have taken the time to write blogs everyday. i promise i'll try to do better than once every two weeks from now. it's just that the past two weeks really have been an adjustment for me. i didn't realize the beginning of a new school year would be this hectic. phew! i feel like i need to stop and take a breath. maybe this will make you feel a little bit of pity for me. before school even started, i had to deal with these 4 incoming Kindergarten students- 1. a "crack" and fetal alcohol syndrome baby who won't stop bitting his mother and running out of the classroom, 2. a six year old who is not potty trained and doesn't realize when he has gone to the bathroom in his pants because he has a cyst on his left temporal lobe which causes seizures, 3. a mother who came drunk to open house and yelled at her son's new teacher, 4. a five year old with what his mother calls a "food phobia" who will a. either not eat, b. exercise it off after he eats, or c. vomits after he eats. i'm sure there will be more to come, but those are just some of the more interesting ones.
even though it has been a crazy start to school, i am still super excited to be back at it. i love getting hugs from the kids and feeling like i am making even one little insy weensy bit of an impact on their lives. i love figuring out the solution to a problem. i love getting mail several times a day in my mailbox. i love talking about feelings, drawing about feelings and acting out feelings. i love listening to our home school coordinator and school social worker's hilarious stories of home visits they have been on. i love getting nice notes from my principal saying he appreciates what i do. i love driving only 12 minutes to work in the mornings (compared to the 30 i had to drive this summer to babysit). i love giving treats to the teachers that i work with and putting a smile on their faces. i love passing by so many people in the halls everyday and having them ask how i am doing and getting to check in with them as well. i love reading children's books. i love getting out of work most days by 3:00pm. i do NOT love car duty.
even though it has been a crazy start to school, i am still super excited to be back at it. i love getting hugs from the kids and feeling like i am making even one little insy weensy bit of an impact on their lives. i love figuring out the solution to a problem. i love getting mail several times a day in my mailbox. i love talking about feelings, drawing about feelings and acting out feelings. i love listening to our home school coordinator and school social worker's hilarious stories of home visits they have been on. i love getting nice notes from my principal saying he appreciates what i do. i love driving only 12 minutes to work in the mornings (compared to the 30 i had to drive this summer to babysit). i love giving treats to the teachers that i work with and putting a smile on their faces. i love passing by so many people in the halls everyday and having them ask how i am doing and getting to check in with them as well. i love reading children's books. i love getting out of work most days by 3:00pm. i do NOT love car duty.
Monday, August 14, 2006
I barely slept a wink last night. First of all, I stayed up late watching The Ron Clark Story the second time it aired (from 10-12). If you missed it check your local listings to see when it will air again. It is certainly a movie worth watching. Although I found some of his "Essential 55" controversial, his story is truly inspirational. Seeing this movie at the beginning of the school year, gets me excited about working with the kids again and motivates me to make this a great year!
That brings me to the second reason I could not sleep last night- the first day jitters. Our first teacher workday is tomorrow, but I have to go in to school today to meet with the PTA President about our new Character Education program. Even at the age of 25 when I'm not even a student anymore, I still have anxiety about the first day of school.
On that note, I'm off to start my year. Wish me luck!
That brings me to the second reason I could not sleep last night- the first day jitters. Our first teacher workday is tomorrow, but I have to go in to school today to meet with the PTA President about our new Character Education program. Even at the age of 25 when I'm not even a student anymore, I still have anxiety about the first day of school.
On that note, I'm off to start my year. Wish me luck!
Friday, August 11, 2006
Good news: Today we get to make Jello Poke Cake, go see the movie Barnyard (mmmm... popcorn), and go to Family Fun Night Dinner at the pool. Yipee for Fridays!!!!!!
Bad news: A lady called from the doctor's office to talk to me about my physical therapy appointment on Tuesday. She informed me that Blue Cross Blue Sheild State Health Plan pays for 80% of physical therapy after the deductible. Since a new period just started on July 1st, this means my first appointment will be $190, my second appointment will be $120, and every appointment after that will be around $24. YIKES!!!!!!!! I definitely need to get a part-time job after school.
Bad news: A lady called from the doctor's office to talk to me about my physical therapy appointment on Tuesday. She informed me that Blue Cross Blue Sheild State Health Plan pays for 80% of physical therapy after the deductible. Since a new period just started on July 1st, this means my first appointment will be $190, my second appointment will be $120, and every appointment after that will be around $24. YIKES!!!!!!!! I definitely need to get a part-time job after school.
Thursday, August 10, 2006
My body still hasn't adjusted to this time change thing. I almost always wake up before my alarm goes off, but today was quite the opposite. I slept through it going off for about 10 minutes and when I realized what it was, I contemplated not even turning it off and going back to sleep. I've also been yawning all day long. I guess even with the suggestions from Real Simple, my body is going to take awhile to adjust back to EST. At least today was an easy day babysitting (not that it is ever that difficult... Rachel and Joe are two of the best kids I've ever met). We did the usual breakfast in front of the TV, got dressed and made beds. Then Kurt, the neighbor's ("Uncle Bill") grandson came over to play for awhile.
After lunch, Rachel and Joe when over to their neighbor's house to play. These three girls are so sweet. They are from Lebanon and were visiting family there all summer. When the recent war broke out, the girls were stuck there with their mother and their father sat by the phone until he was able to get them home. Anyway, while they were playing I got to read my book, relax and watch Days of Our Lives (I know, I know it's a rediculous soap opera, but I've been watching it for as long as I can remember and can easily catch up even if I haven't seen it in months. It's terribly addictive!) I do feel guilty when they go over there though. Basically, I am getting paid to do nothing.
When the kids got home from their play date, we went to the library to watch Curious George. Now I was a little disappointed, because I thought it was going to be the real movie that came out in theatres earlier this year. It was; however, a series of short little stories about that "curious" monkey. The kids did get to make a cute paper monkey and a big yellow hat to take home. Rachel met a little girl from China there and they wanted to stay and play all afternoon. Now if you know me well enough, you know that I never complain about spending time in a library or book store.
Well, all of this to say that tomorrow is my last day of summer babysitting for the Greenlands. I can't believe that 5 weeks are up already! I will certainly miss them, even though I will babysit occastionally at night. I still feel so lucky to have found such a wonderful family last May. If I can, I'd like to continue watching them every summer until they are grown :)
After lunch, Rachel and Joe when over to their neighbor's house to play. These three girls are so sweet. They are from Lebanon and were visiting family there all summer. When the recent war broke out, the girls were stuck there with their mother and their father sat by the phone until he was able to get them home. Anyway, while they were playing I got to read my book, relax and watch Days of Our Lives (I know, I know it's a rediculous soap opera, but I've been watching it for as long as I can remember and can easily catch up even if I haven't seen it in months. It's terribly addictive!) I do feel guilty when they go over there though. Basically, I am getting paid to do nothing.
When the kids got home from their play date, we went to the library to watch Curious George. Now I was a little disappointed, because I thought it was going to be the real movie that came out in theatres earlier this year. It was; however, a series of short little stories about that "curious" monkey. The kids did get to make a cute paper monkey and a big yellow hat to take home. Rachel met a little girl from China there and they wanted to stay and play all afternoon. Now if you know me well enough, you know that I never complain about spending time in a library or book store.
Well, all of this to say that tomorrow is my last day of summer babysitting for the Greenlands. I can't believe that 5 weeks are up already! I will certainly miss them, even though I will babysit occastionally at night. I still feel so lucky to have found such a wonderful family last May. If I can, I'd like to continue watching them every summer until they are grown :)
Wednesday, August 09, 2006
i read in my real simple magazine on the plane yesterday that the worst thing to do after a long plane flight is to take a nap. although that is exactly what i wanted to do when i got home, i made myself stay up until 10:30. it also said you should try getting back into your normal routine as quickly as possible. well i didn't much have a choice in that. i had to babysit at 8am this morning, which meant that i had to get up at 7am which was 4am Seattle time. i was NOT ready to get up. perhaps by this weekend i will be back in my normal routine and then eeek! i start school next week! 
i had such a fun time in Seattle. it was great to see Laura after almost 10 months of not seeing her. it was also fun to explore a city that i had never been to, but had always wanted to see. i didn't take that many pictures, which is disappointing. maybe that means i'm meant to go back soon :) anyone want to go with me?
email me if you want me to tell you how those mighty o doughnuts turned out, if you want to guess how many cups of coffee i had while i was in the city famous for it, and/or if you want to see my photos.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
today we are headed to the beach with laura's brother scott, his wife kerryn and their two children evelyn and britton. not before we stop and pick up some mighty o doughnuts for breakfast. interestingly enough mighty o is a vegan doughnut shop. hmmmm, not sure what to think about that. definitely not krispy kreme, but laura says they are great and who am i to pass up an opportunity for doughnuts? it's going to be a day of adventure with us east coast girls going to the pacific ocean and a winston-salem native eating a vegan doughnut.
oh yeah and then later today we are going to watch the salmon swim upstream in a place where the saltwater meets the freshwater! another exciting day in seattle. i'll let you know how it turns out...
oh yeah and then later today we are going to watch the salmon swim upstream in a place where the saltwater meets the freshwater! another exciting day in seattle. i'll let you know how it turns out...
Saturday, August 05, 2006
yum. we just got home from the park, shopping at U Village and eating at this place called Thai Tom's that Casey Neimeyer recommended. it was so tasty and we had lots of leftovers to bring home. yummy, i love seattle dining!
since my lovely sister is getting onto me about keeping up with this blog, i'll write a short little post dedicated to her. i'm in the amazing city of seattle right now visiting one of my friends from graduate school. i still haven't quite adjusted to the time change, but other than that i am having a wonderful time!
it is beautiful here! the weather is perfect and we are getting ready to go walk around "U Village" which is next to the University of Washington campus.
yesterday we spent the day walking around the famous Pike's Market. again, it was a beautiful day so there were lots of people out and about. we bought fresh deli meats, cheeses, bread and fruit to make a picnic for that evening. in the afternoon we went to fremont to eat sushi and shop. that evening we went to seattle center (where the space needle is located). they had what they call "movies at the mural" where we sat on the lawn and watched casablanca. despite it being a little cooler than i am used to, it was a lot of fun!
i'll try and write more later, but now we're off again...
it is beautiful here! the weather is perfect and we are getting ready to go walk around "U Village" which is next to the University of Washington campus.
yesterday we spent the day walking around the famous Pike's Market. again, it was a beautiful day so there were lots of people out and about. we bought fresh deli meats, cheeses, bread and fruit to make a picnic for that evening. in the afternoon we went to fremont to eat sushi and shop. that evening we went to seattle center (where the space needle is located). they had what they call "movies at the mural" where we sat on the lawn and watched casablanca. despite it being a little cooler than i am used to, it was a lot of fun!
i'll try and write more later, but now we're off again...
Wednesday, August 02, 2006
I get to watch Jules this morning while my sister goes to give blood. How fun, except for the fact that she is napping right now so I don't even really get to watch her. She should be up soon though. I know I am partial, but she is seriously the cutest baby girl I have ever seen. I'm still not sure how I'll feel about having a baby of my own in the future, but right now I am completely happy with being an aunt.
On another note, the Today Throws a Wedding series is back and I am thrilled. Sadly, it is my favorite segment on the Today Show. Each year they choose a couple to get married live on the plaza (well one year they did a destination wedding) and each week the viewers get to vote on different things like the invitations, cake, wedding dress, bridesmaid dress, tux, etc. Today we got to meet the eight couples who will be competing for the wedding this year. I'm having a tough time deciding who I like the best, but I think it is between Carrie & Josh and Morgane & D'Quarius. Next week will be hilarious, because each couple has to sing a love song karaoke.
And finally, my goals for today include cleaning my room, working on Character Ed lesson plans for school, and finish packing. I leave for Seattle tomorrow at 5:32 and I CAN'T WAIT!
On another note, the Today Throws a Wedding series is back and I am thrilled. Sadly, it is my favorite segment on the Today Show. Each year they choose a couple to get married live on the plaza (well one year they did a destination wedding) and each week the viewers get to vote on different things like the invitations, cake, wedding dress, bridesmaid dress, tux, etc. Today we got to meet the eight couples who will be competing for the wedding this year. I'm having a tough time deciding who I like the best, but I think it is between Carrie & Josh and Morgane & D'Quarius. Next week will be hilarious, because each couple has to sing a love song karaoke.
And finally, my goals for today include cleaning my room, working on Character Ed lesson plans for school, and finish packing. I leave for Seattle tomorrow at 5:32 and I CAN'T WAIT!
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Last September as I was training to run a half-marathon, I did something to my hip/groin area. Six doctors, 1 X-ray, 60 minutes of laying inside an MRI tube with extra-loud machinery noises pounding all around me, 2 four-inch needles injected into my hip, 30 800mg tablets of pain killer, hours of crying, and 11 months later... the mystery had yet to be solved.
So today I went to the 7th doctor who just so happened to be the first female doctor. Wow, what a world of difference it was. Instead of being forced to lie on an ice-cold table for 30 minutes before the doctor even showed his face with a scratchy paper gown that covered about 1/2 of me, I was asked to put on a soft cloth gown and the doctor came in immediately! Instead of being poked and proded and being treated like I was a mute animal, she was kind and gentle and actually had genuine conversations with me. Instead of the doctor calling for the nurse to hand him a needle full of who knows what and leaving me clueless and crying, she said we could wait and see if we needed to have any more painful procedures. Instead of scheduling appointment after appointment where I would have to pay expensive bills, she asked my desires for what we should do next. When I was about at my wit's end with doctors and the entire medical profession, I finally found someone who was both helpful and caring.
Now I have not been through medical school myself, but I have gotten my master's degree in Counseling which brought up all sorts of questions about what they teach you in medical school. After 11 months of terrible experiences with doctors, I was beginning to wonder if doctors are required to do an internship with real people. Maybe I value empathy, genuineness and unconditional positive regard more than the next one (the foundation of a counseling relationship), but doctors should seriously have to take a counseling course before they graduate from med school.
Even though my hip pain was not relieved today, I feel so much better having seen a doctor who listened to my story and was genuinely concerned. She also set me up to go to physical therapy twice a week, which I hope will help me get back into running and exercising regularly.
So today I went to the 7th doctor who just so happened to be the first female doctor. Wow, what a world of difference it was. Instead of being forced to lie on an ice-cold table for 30 minutes before the doctor even showed his face with a scratchy paper gown that covered about 1/2 of me, I was asked to put on a soft cloth gown and the doctor came in immediately! Instead of being poked and proded and being treated like I was a mute animal, she was kind and gentle and actually had genuine conversations with me. Instead of the doctor calling for the nurse to hand him a needle full of who knows what and leaving me clueless and crying, she said we could wait and see if we needed to have any more painful procedures. Instead of scheduling appointment after appointment where I would have to pay expensive bills, she asked my desires for what we should do next. When I was about at my wit's end with doctors and the entire medical profession, I finally found someone who was both helpful and caring.
Now I have not been through medical school myself, but I have gotten my master's degree in Counseling which brought up all sorts of questions about what they teach you in medical school. After 11 months of terrible experiences with doctors, I was beginning to wonder if doctors are required to do an internship with real people. Maybe I value empathy, genuineness and unconditional positive regard more than the next one (the foundation of a counseling relationship), but doctors should seriously have to take a counseling course before they graduate from med school.
Even though my hip pain was not relieved today, I feel so much better having seen a doctor who listened to my story and was genuinely concerned. She also set me up to go to physical therapy twice a week, which I hope will help me get back into running and exercising regularly.
Our plan for the summer was to scrapbook every Monday (since I don't have to babysit on Mondays). Now here we are on the last Monday of the summer (that both Courtney and I will be home), and we haven't spent one single day doing what we set out to do. Last week we put together shelves and organized all of our stuff so that are scrabooking/card making stuff could be more accesible. That was very helpful, but was still not part of the plan.
Instead of scrapbooking today, we decided to make some cards. Mom, Court and I each made 22 cards and I'm very excited about them! Hopefully it will be one small thing to make my school year a little easier. When I need a card, I can grab one and go instead of spending an hour trying to decide what colors and stamps I want to use.
Now, next Monday I'll be in Seattle so no scrapbooking for me. Even worse, Court will already be back at school. August 14th will be my final Monday of the summer and my last chance to complete a page. I also want to spend that time making favors/cards for the teachers I will be working for at school this year. I can't think of any cute and cheap ideas (I'll have to buy for 40-some teachers) so if you have any brilliant suggestions please email me!
Instead of scrapbooking today, we decided to make some cards. Mom, Court and I each made 22 cards and I'm very excited about them! Hopefully it will be one small thing to make my school year a little easier. When I need a card, I can grab one and go instead of spending an hour trying to decide what colors and stamps I want to use.
Now, next Monday I'll be in Seattle so no scrapbooking for me. Even worse, Court will already be back at school. August 14th will be my final Monday of the summer and my last chance to complete a page. I also want to spend that time making favors/cards for the teachers I will be working for at school this year. I can't think of any cute and cheap ideas (I'll have to buy for 40-some teachers) so if you have any brilliant suggestions please email me!
I've avoided the whole blogging thing until now, simply because I don't think I have anything exciting to say. My sister started a new blog today through typepad and convinced me that I should participate in the free 30-day trial as well. Then my dad suggested that blogs through Google's blogspot are free for life, so I've opted to compare the two and see which one I like better.
My blogging fears confirmed, I couldn't even come up with a catchy title. So for now, I've combined two of my biggest passions: Carolina (that is the Tar Heels) and Counseling (more specifically Elementary School Counseling). We'll see how this goes...
