How do I know if I'm a screw up or not?

Lately, I feel a little bit Jekyll and Hyde. On one hand I really feel like I'm getting my act together what with having a job I like and actively applying to graduate school and whatnot. On the other hand though, I am a twenty-five-year-old studying for the Praxis. This is the standardized test for prospective teachers, most often taken at the end of your undergraduate studies. I am soooo not looking forward to taking that test in a few weeks with what I assume will be a room full of cute, confident, newly twenty-two-year olds with perfect hair.

I'll rush in still dressed from work, having been up since 6am, boyfriend and pup at home wondering why their dinner isn't making itself. I jest, Boyfriend is a better and more frequent cook than I. Arley? I will never live up to her standards of care. Anyone looking for a full-time belly rubbing gig? It doesn't pay and your client has dog breath. Takers? No? If you change your mind you know where to find me.

So, my week will be full of relearning geometry formulas and the proper use of semi-colons. There's a Halloween costume that needs finishing, too. Boyfriend and I are part of a group costume with his cohort at school. We're all going as different characters from Pac-Man. I'm going as a strawberry and Boyfriend is going to be one of the ghosts despite my suggestion that he be a big, white dot. What? It's a great idea! Whatever.

Halloween plans? Long lists of unpleasant things to accomplish? Needy dog at home?

Have you seen this? A series is born.

I'd like to take this moment to tell you about something I hope to make into a series right here. I'm calling it Exceptionally Awesome Kids of Exceptional Awesomeness. It's a working title.

This project combines so many things that I love- kids caring about a global issue, food and travel.
I can't even remember how I happened upon this blog initially but I continue to be impressed (or amused, or moved to tears, or fascinated) by it's content. Never Seconds is a food blog of sorts started by a girl with help from her dad. She took pictures of her lunches to bring attention to the reality of school lunches- sometimes too small, sometimes not very healthy, sometimes quite good. This evolved into featuring school lunches from around the world all while raising money for charity. If you're interested in cool things kids do, real food from the farthest flung places or simply a great project check it out.


The wonderful people at Never Seconds haven't a clue who I am. These options are my own.

What am I doing?

Are you curious what I do all day-besides, of course sporadically post to my blog? Interested or not I've decided to tell you. I am a teaching assistant at an elementary school. This is the first step in my grand plan to get my Master's degree in Education and become Super Teacher- complete with special powers like mischief-destroying stare and hilarious story time voice!

photo credit

Yeah, sort of like that.

Aaaaaanyway, I spend my days bouncing around to different classrooms where there are children who have been identified "special needs". At my school that means primarily behavior and attention problems. Sometimes I work just with the identified children in a small group and other times I work with a variety of kids, allowing the classroom teacher to give more individualized attention across the board. I work in kindergarten through third grade classrooms leading math and reading groups, assisting with special projects or simply helping students stay on tasks during independent assignments.

I love my job. Before moving to Indiana I worked in a retail store and while there were aspects of the job I enjoyed, it was stressful and completely unfulfilling. Working in classrooms is, for me, ideal. Yes, it's stressful and sometimes I wonder if I've ever done anything helpful. I have to get up crazy-early, there's no coffee shop in the lobby or even around the block, kids sneeze on me and say bratty things, ask me questions and don't listen to the answer. But more often than not I am on the front lines of a battlefield fighting for a cause I believe in with my whole heart.

You'll be hearing more about my adventures in elementary school, I'm certain. Stay tuned!

How's the New Place?

As I mentioned some time ago, we've moved...again.

Having grown up in Kansas City, Missouri, Boyfriend and I got adventurous and moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2010 (not before taking a month-long backpacking trip after only one year of dating, but I digress). We lived in Charlotte for two years packed with "firsts", the most significant of which was moving in together. Of course, that was as turbulent as you'd expect- gripes about cleaning, schedules, generally getting annoyed with each others presence. I am a total control freak so I actually got upset, not that Boyfriend wouldn't load the dishwasher but, that when he did, he did it wrong. I know, I know. But we've established that I'm crazy, right? Anyway, Charlotte was great, beautiful autumnal weather that lasts months, little to no winter weather whatsoever (!!!) and all the sweet tea I never cared to drink. Boyfriend got his Master's degree and I worked at a job I felt lukewarm about but with awesome coworkers I'm too lucky to have own.

Enter grad school application season. Boyfriend got accepted to three excellent Ph.D programs (because he's brilliant...when he's not obnoxious). At the same time I was shopping around for a Master's in Education program. Indiana fit the bill for both of us and after spending the summer in Kansas City with family and friends, we packed up and set out to become Hoosiers.

Do you know that feeling when everything's going so well that you're sure there must be disaster looming? Just me? In any case, I still feel that way about our most recent move. Boyfriend had a connection that found us an adorable house to rent, I got the first and best job I applied for and this town has exceeded our expectations on nearly every front. We're walking distance from a great little cocktail bar, make a weekly trip to the farmer's market and may never run out of international restaurants to try. I know I haven't even lived here two months but I think I may never want to leave.