Take Down

I just love these pictures, so I thought I'd post them on the blog today. I don't have much to write other than this is what I love about this guy.

Have a good day.

Ciao

Dating...

Well, after the longest dryspell in history, I finally have found myself in a relationship with someone. I know I said something about this before, but I thought I'd spend some time on my blog to write a little about him and what's up. As you have read from my Vegas moments, finding a man in this city is nothing short of a miracle. Around July, when I found myself working at the wonderful and spectacular Applebee's, the bartender Crystal and I became instant friends. She invited me over for dinner one night and told me their friend Fernando was coming to eat as well. Crystal, Frankie (Crystal's boyfriend) and Fernando have all been friends since the 6th grade. I thought, "oh great... she's going to try and set me up with someone" so in arriving first, I was hoping he wouldn't be able to make it and then I'd be able to relax. I was wrong. The ever faithful friend showed up right on time. When he walked in I thought, well, forget it, he won't like me. The workouts from Curves hadn't started to show any progress at that point.

Week after week, we all hung out, talking, watching movies, eating, and just spending time around each other. At the end of the night, Fernando and I would leave, walking down the sidewalk to our cars not saying much of anything to each other, except the occasional empty comment just trying to make some conversation. I was always thinking... why doesn't he talk more. Crystal kept sayin that we should hook up, but I didn't want to go for Ferdinand just because Crystal told me I should, right?? Of course. Apparently Fernando was always thinking, ... why does she get in her car so fast every night and why doesn't she stop and talk to me a little bit before she leaves. ... I had no idea he even thought I was cute or anything because he's shy and no one ever asked him what he thought about me. I actually didn't think he even wanted to be my friend, but there was an occasional moment where I would be talking a mile a minute, as you have all witnessed me do, and I'd look over and see Fernando totally into it. I was even caught speechless for a moment when I realized he wasn't just looking at me thinking I was crazy, he was actually listening to what I was saying. (I didn't think men listened.) ha ha ha

Well, finally, after a long shift at Applebees, Frankie and Fernando came to pick Crystal and I up and we went and got some food. Suddenly a miracle occurred. The man that never spoke started talking to me. By the end of dinner, we were in a major conversation. After that we all hung out until pretty late, laughing and playing video games and just messin' around. We sat on the couch, with pillows covering up our hands so Crystal and Frankie couldn't see us holding hands. We left their apartment and ended up sitting in his car until 7 a.m. !!!

After that it's just been awesome. We've been dating seriously since then, which is around Labor Day. He has done nothing by amaze me every day. I am so lucky to have such a great guy in my life. I've never experienced someone who has such respect for women and people in general. He is such a hard worker, as well. He is graduating in Accounting and Finance in December from UNLV and then he is going to open his own business. He works with his dad and at a high rise condo here in the city. He and his dad are best friends and they are Mr. Fix-ets. They can fix anything. He makes me laugh and he makes me feel like I'm on up on a pedistal. Hopefully I do the same for him, which he says that I do.

Here are some pictures of us. There aren't many but there will be more. He's definitely going to be in my life for a long time.

Enjoy the photos.

Jess

Tales of the Student Teacher

Hello Everyone.

I finally have had some time to put down some pictures of my class and me in it. I'm sure there is some legal stipulation that says I can't have pictures of these kids, so if you know them, please don't tell their parents.

As for my classroom. Things have been interesting. I've been teaching full time now for a few weeks. It's been great! However, the perfectionist in me has had to take a deep breath and just get things covered. I haven't had time to be really interesting or do anything amazing that anyone outside of our classroom would notice. I think I've kept the students entertained though. The other day we did a conga line and in rhythmic way sang "e-a-r ... e-a-r... errrrr" so we could remember the spelling rule that the letters e-a-r make a errrr sound like in earn, yearn. It was fun. The students loved doing the conga around the room.

My experience so far has definitely had it's share of challenges. Some of you know I worked at a school with kids who have behavorial disorders for about 6 months. I learned a lot during that time about discipline and how normal discipline techniques on these kinds of kids of the opposite affect as they do on children without behavorial disorders. Well, you'd think that experience would have helped me, but it's so different in a classroom where you have one student with those problems and the rest are complete angels.

My good friend and student with down syndrome... for legal purposes we'll call him Luke, has had a rough couple of weeks. This last week was full of moments where I wondered how the heck I ever could help him.

I walked outside one morning to get the students, ready for a perfectly sweat free day of teaching, and to my amazement and horror, Luke was chasing the other kids around swinging his backpack like a slugger on the NY Mets. The kids are so well behaved they were trying to stay in line but still duck his painful blows. Some were telling him to stop and others were just beginning to enter a state of shock. That was Monday. OnTuesday Luke threw a tantrum in the room and after writing on the wall with his crayon, he threw the entire bag and hit one of my students square in the face. The bag broke open and other crayons bounced off of her like a rubber ball and spread like machine fire hitting two or three other students. They just kept on coloring because they didn't want to get into trouble. After that moment, I took Luke into the hallway and he calmed down long enough to distract me and then he ran down the hallway. When he rounded the corner, of course before me because I was not going to run (that's what he wants and I wasn't wearing a sports bra) he then proceded to leave the building. I wasn't sure where he went and I had left 16 children in the room with a teachers aid who I feel is notwonderful for me to have to tell my Assistant Principal during my internship that I lost I student. It is a little comical now, but being that it was my b-day and only Tuesday, I was feeling a little peeved after the whole thing.

Other than that, things are going well. I can't wait until I have my own classroom and a pay check to go with it. This working for free stuff is pretty hard to handle.







Ahh, the classroom photo. ha ha ha

Till next time.

Ciao

A Very Long Silence

Hello All.

After a very long silence, I have finally found the time to write again. So much has been going on in my life that I just can't seem to get a minute to write. There's that, and the fact that I lost my password forever and couldn't figure out how to log on so that I could continue my various rantings. So I'm up for a little writing tonite.

I started student teaching, finally! My first day of school was nuts. There were so many students. I'm currently in an elementary school that only houses Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd grades. This is a novel idea, because there are no worries of older kids and problems that occur with the mixing of ages. There are 16 2nd grade teachers in my school. I am with one of them and she is a pretty good teacher. I enjoy learning from her and I believe she has learned a few things from me, as well. After teaching now for a month, I can honestly say that I love it. I do not feel like it's work. Instead, I feel like it's a mix of stand up comedy, playing, and (let's be honest with ourselves) saving the world. I know that sounds arrogant, as if I could save the world, but I mean that it makes you feel so good that you taught a child or helped a child to be comfortable with reading out loud that it feels like you saved the world. I love my class.

I have one student who has down syndrome. I become so elated whenever he does something on his own, without a prompting or a bit of instruction. He was in charge of leading the pledge of allegiance last week. On Monday, when I announced that it would be his turn to lead the class, he immediately stood up and said everything correctly. His little voice and the way he stutters just a touch and slurs his words made my heart melted as he managed to say every line correctly in preparing the class to say the pledge. Occasionally he gives me a hug and tells me he loves me. That is awesome. The kid just makes me laugh. Unfortunately, his loving attitude is usually spoiled with a comment about poop right in front of the other students. He asked if he could draw me a picture ... it was of my butt pooping he said. Nice. I finally got him to draw me a picture of himself instead. It is the cutest self-portrait I've ever recieved.

Other than school, I'm still working at Applebees. They have been especially unaccomodating with my school schedule. My employer actually told me to "suck it up" when I told her that working until midnight when I had school at 7:00 a.m. was too difficult. I know, I know... I can hear the violins stringing now... however, I feel I'm justified in asking for a little decency after working like a horse for them all summer. At least the food is still free. And it's getting better, too. I recommend giving Applebees a try soon. They have this new brick chicken and a penne rosa pasta with italian sausage........ YUMMY!! It's good stuff.

The big news, I suppose, is the latest boyfriend in my life. After a five year dry spell... and how dry it was.... I have finally found myself in a relationship with a wonderful man. He was not what I was looking for and I was not what he was looking for, but now that we've found each other; it's amazing. I know. I know. Get me the barf bag. But he's awesome. His name is Fernando Isaac Ruvalcaba. ( I can't pronounce it either, so don't worry.) I suppose there is more for this to come later. He is a student at UNLV and graduating in December in Accounting and Finance. He is the biggest gentlemen I've ever been privledged to go out with and we have the best time, except when we wrestle. I beat him every time because I'm tough. (Actually, it's the other way around, but it makes me feel better to lie.)

I'm sorry it's been so long. I'll update pictures and other comments later. I hope all is well with all of you.

Adios,

Jessica