Oh, the changes I make...

In an attempt to, like I previously said not tell the same story a million times, I am once again blogging about what is going on in my life. This is a awkward for me, and I hope more then anything I don't come across as a self-important d-bag. So here we go...

In my last post I said I was moving to PA to work at a camp and go on an adventure with no job or job security. Sadly my stupid adult brain has kicked in and the lack of job security and countless hours of job searching in which I am either over or unqualified for jobs, I basically had a MAJOR melt down, and have changed the plan. The plan is still go out for the summer and enjoy all that Paradise Farm Camps has to offer, and look for jobs.

HOWEVER, the large wrench I threw into the plan is that I applied for a promotion at work. I am up against some stiff competition, so although I want all the confidence in the world, I am a little freaked out and not planning on getting it. If anything, applying gave me a good experience, but lets all hope it leads to a fantastic job. I'll still be able to go out to PA for the summer if I get the job, it just means I'm for sure coming back in the fall. I'm hoping I'll find out about the job this week, so I'll let whoever is reading this know the out come as soon as I know.

well...

I realize that it's been almost two years since I last blogged, and due to the fact that I'm moving in a matter of months, it seemed like a good idea to start up again so y'all know what's going on. Basically this is to save me the hasell of having to say the same thing over and over again... JUST KIDDING! So here we go...

As many of you know (I hope) I have been offered and accepted a job at Paradise Farm Camps in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. For those who did not know me prior to September of 2007 PFC is where I spent MANY summers as well as about 9 months living and working. If you've ever had a conversation with me, you'll know how much I loved being out in PA and the camp. So needless to say I am VERY excited to be going back.

Once the summer is over I will (fingers crossed) be finding some type of job and either living in the city of Philadelphia or the surrounding area. I have been looking online and have seen some good prospects, but am going to wait and apply once I'm out there. So starting June 1st I'll be asking you all to send out good vibes for me to find a job.

So the basic plan is that I will finish out my year at Head Start, which ends May 22nd. My friend Cary will be flying out around the 27th and the two of us will head out in to the world for what I can garontee will be one awesome road tirp. I will need to be "at camp" for a open house on June 2nd, then I'll have a week to settle in and celebrate my Dirty 30 (30th birthday), then camp starts June 11th.
As for the job itself I will be helping with the teen camp. It is an amazing program for teen's ages 13 to 15 to come and get leadership training and a really amazing summer experience. The program works with West Cheter University to help teach different leadership skills each week, along with getting to go on amazing field tips to high ropes courses, paint murals in inner city Philly, and other cool stuff.

With all the fun stuff that is going on I'll make sure to take TONS of pictues and keep you all up to date in what's going on in my soon to be neck of the woods. I'll try and update this as mcuh as I can between now and when I move as well so I can find ways to see you all. AND I'll make the promise that once I move I will try and update the at least once a week.

Home Visits and XM Radio

As a part of my job I am required to visit the homes of every child in my classroom. This week is the week I get to enjoy this fun aspect of my job (I hope the sarcasm is coming through). The week of home visits is a hard week on everyone in the classroom family. The kids are excited to have the teachers come to their homes, and there for the two days they are at school are CRAZY. The parents are stressed because the teachers are coming to their homes, and feel they need to clean the whole house, even though we only ever see the living room, the kitchen, and sometimes the children's bedrooms. Without fail every house we enter smell of clean agents. The teachers are stressed because they are trapped in a car with one another for two days straight, looking for and sometimes getting lost trying to find the houses of the families. Because of all this, the music played in the car can either make of break a situation. Thankfully this year, due to my wonderful father, I will not have to listen to the same CD or horrible radio, I get XM radio! You name it and we get to listen to it, and I am hopping this will help the trials and tribulations of our home visits go much smoother.

Norm Boots and Water Boarding

On Sunday I had dinner with my father, Grandmother Flora, Cousin Sean, and Cassidy. During the course of the meal the way I discipline my dog came up. I should say as cute as little Normy is, he has food and Kleenex rage, and becomes a vicious beast when he gets human food or Kleenex. He also has a tendency to bark at any and every thing that comes within 100 feet of our home. In our conversation we discusses how I choose to deal with him. In our house we use a spray bottle as a tool to help him understand that what he is doing is not ok, and to help him back off. My father immediately refereed to this method as water boarding, and called me a terrorist. Harsh, I know. I was then told that my father would remove the dog from my home if I continued to "water board" my dog. He's a bit nutty about the dog, considering he's the only "grandchild" he has. In all this conversing my grandmother pipes in and says "I've seen water boarding on TV it doesn't look that bad." Thanks for the back up grandma! So I leave it up to you, my beautiful public, am I a terrorist or a person trying to deal with a crazy dog?

Day in the life...

I want to start by saying I love my job. I know many people can't say that, but I do. I love the kids I get to see every day, and the fact that when I walk in to my classroom at 9 o'clock every morning 20 chipper little voices yell my name, and tell me how great I look or they like my hair, or just that they love me. Through out my day I am hugged, and loved, and told that I am loved. They are 20 little rye’s of sunshine that make my life so wonderful... With all this said, today I had to clean up poop*! Like literal poop*! I had the sweetest of little boys transferred into my class when we got back from the Christmas break. He is on what we in the education field call an IEP. Basically its special ed. Anywho, this sweet little boy has very little language, and a hard time letting us know when he needs to go to the bathroom. At the end of every day it's me and one other teacher, and usually about 12 kids, and we can't really leave each other alone with the kids. Well my sweet little guy was acting funny, and I'm not gonna lie walk funny, so I took to the bathroom, where he spent 5 minutes going to the bathroom, and then I realized he had shat in his pants. Not only was there poo in his underwear, it was caked on his bottom, and nether region, as well as on the toilet seat. It took me 5 minutes to clean the poor kid up, and when it was done, he looked up at me with his sweet, tear filled eyes (he had a constipation issue), and said "Thanks". Although I spent a good long time cleaning and smelling this kids shit, he truly was thankful for what I did. Its moments like this I love my job.
(*Word has been changed from original post upon request of Craig S. Ogan)