Funny joke!

Okay, so we already know that I'm a complete nerd, right? Well, I was reading my Reader's Digest the other day and I came across a really funny joke. I'm going to try and repeat it without ruining it.

A zookeeper came into one of the orangutan's cages and it was holding a copy of two books: the bible and Darwin's Origin of the Species. The zookeeper said, "Why are you reading those books?" and the orangutan answered, "I'm trying to decide whether I'm my brother's keeper or my keeper's brother."

HA!!! Isn't that hilarious?!

Random Pictures

So I recently figured out how to get all of the great pictures off of my camera phone, so here are a few funny/cute/random ones.

This one is of Greg playing Guitar Hero at our friends Josh and Megan's house. He thinks that his "power stance" helps him to play better. The best part is when he throws in an impromptu "power kick" when he really gets in to the music!

Can you believe how big she looks?! This is the background on my phone right now because I think that it is sucha sweet little face. She is 5 months old now! Time really has flown by and each day with her is an adventure. She's got a few new tricks lately; she started reaching for mommy and getting a little clingy, (which is sweet, but I think it'll get old soon), and she has started patting things, and reaching up for my lips and nose while I'm nursing. Such simple things, but isn't that the joy of parenthood - simple things. The next picture is just of her during her tummy time by the window. She doesn't much like her tummy time, but she loves looking outside, so I thought I'd mix the two things. She didn't really fall for my trick!

Why I love my job!

When I was growing up I always knew that I wanted to do something with English, but I always followed that with "but I don't want to be a teacher!" Life has taught me a lesson in humility. After I got married and realized what my goals were for us as a family I realized that teaching would be a good fit - and that's what I got my degree in.

I was pregnant when I finished school and had not been planning on working, but as it so happens the perfect job fell in to my lap. For those of you who don't know, I work at a residential treatment center for girls. They range from age 11-18 and they are great kids that have had rough lives; many because of their own faults and others because of bad environments and much abuse. I'm not saying that people who go through hard times and crappy situations should use it as an excuse, (my dad is a great example of the opposite of that), but these girls have had some hard times and the rtc is a healthy environment where they learn great coping skills and can also get a great eduacation. Many of them have anxiety or depression issues - resulting in destructive behaviors such as drugs and alcohol as well as cutting. This post has taken on a negative tone and I don't mean for it to be that way. These girls are so sweet and I love that I don't have to deal with the dynamic of boys, or better yet, the dynamic of the effect boys and girls have on each other at school!

I get to teach and have some independance and control and also enjoy great time with my sweet Emerson. I teach 4 days and week from about 7:30 - 1:30 and I only miss one feeding with Emmy. My largest class is 5 girls and I love that that enables me to really connect with each of the girls and make connections with them that I wouldn't be able to in a class of 30 students. We have great discussions and get to read some wonderful literature. It's hard to do a lot of novels because of limited time, but we've read To Kill a Mockingbird, The Great Gatsby, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and The Awakening, not to mention countless great short stories and plays. This has been such a challenging and rewarding first year of teaching and it is hard to see some of my girls graduate the program and move on. We do get new girls all the time and it's been great to see them grow so much in the short time that they've been there. I love seeing them evolve from sullen, rude, self-conscious, girls to self-confident, positive, and productive individuals. Not to gloss it over in any way. It's still frustrating and exhausting at times. Many of these girls have severe learning disabilities or defiance issues, but on the whole they are so eager to work and learn.

Greg has been so supportive of me with this job and I couldn't do it without his encouragement. he gives me the little push that I need now and again to be a better teacher. Throughout this year I've even felt myself becoming more confident in myself as a teacher as well as a woman. I'm sure in the months to come I'll have some great stories of my girls; they never cease to amaze me!

Here goes nothing!

So Sarah and I decided that we might just be the only ones that we know who don't have blogs! Here is our attempt to change that. I really don't know how this is going to go, but I thought that it might be a chance to put my English degree to work. Now I've just got to figure out what I really have to say and see if I might ever be able to get Greg to contribute. Wish me luck!