Oh my life is so amusing!

 So if you haven't heard in the past week my life has MAJORLY changed. 


I resigned my postion at Howell (affective Tuesday) and start my new job on Monday. I will be a LRE Teacher Consultant. Basically it is my job to coordinate with teachers for spec ed kids who are in the "regular" class all day. I help the teachers and travel all around.

The job is for Monroe County ISD, which is a bit of a drive from where we currently live, but we are planning on maybe moving, trying to rent our current home and basically chaning things all around

In some senses I am excited beyond all describtion, but in other ways I am scared beyond belief, change is one of the scariest things, and I am diving head first into it. I a

So I am posting for no apparent reason, but hey I can do that can't I?

Well so I am a sad sucker for young adult novels recently. The "hip mom" VP of my school's PTO suggested some books to me, and I have been attempting to read some of them, and I am sadly HOOKED. I am never reading a grown-up book again, young adult fiction is AWESOME.

The most recent and probably my FAVORITE BOOK EVER (well after Bridge to Terrabithia and Winn Dixie) is THE HUNGER GAMES. Here is a link if you want some info on it.

http://www.scholastic.com/thehungergames/

It is possibly one of the best books I have read. You may think that young adult books are one demensional, simple and plotless, but honestly the complexity and depth of concepts in this book amazed me, I hung on every moment, couldn't stop reading and was mesmerized. There is a sequel coming out in September and I am dying to read it, it's killing me waiting to know what happens.

I haven't decided if I am ridiculous for reading kids books or not, Andy thinks I am, but I just like these books a lot. Another series I am getting into but haven't found quite as good are the "Uglies" series by Scott Westerfield: http://www.scottwesterfeld.com/books/uglies.htm  this series is strange and sometimes a bit ridiculous but I like it. It's more than a mere Twilight type series, this one has some real meat. I am not going to lie I did enjoy Twilight but not as much as other books I have read recently. Seriously you guys need to pick up some young adult fiction:)


Enough of my ridiculousness and babbling:) Ending transmission;)

1. Started your own blog
2. Slept under the stars
3. Played in a band
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower
6. Given more than you can afford to charity
7. Been to Disneyland
8. Climbed a mountain
9. Held a praying mantis
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child
16. Had food poisoning
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty
18. Grown your own vegetables
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you're not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo's David
41. Sung karaoke.
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted (Does a caricature count?)
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class.
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job.
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone.
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating.
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone's life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a mobile phone
99. Been stung by a bee
100. Read an entire book in one day

The term "burnt out" is beginning to feel more and more accurate lately, it has just been one of those days!

So last night I was watching the Animal Planet channel. They had a show called "Animal Witness: The Michael Vick Case". I pretty much attempted to watch the show because I almost vomited several times from the pure evil that was displayed. It talked about how Vick had a whole ring in his home and how he was seeing passing money during fights. Dogs who would not re-engage during a fight were killer, either by shooting, electrocution, drowning, or one dog was reported to have been thrown to the ground so hard it broke numerous bones and killed him. This man supported and did this, and really has shown very little remorse.

People disgust me at times, especially when they abuse and kill animals with no defenses. These dogs did NOTHING and this man and his people fought them to the death for sport. This show was disgusting; I hope Vick loses everything, because quite frankly he deserves it.


On a much lighter note I had a LOT of fun this weekend. Friday we went to a work party for Andy's work, and had a lot of fun drinking free beer at the Ann Arbor Brewing Company. Then I went over to Sarah Apigians for her birthday. It was a fun time. Saturday I had my very last graduate course (well Saturday one) and it went well, that night Andy and I went to a house party at Ypsilanti held by one of Andy's coworkers. After we left their party we stopped by our friends Jason and Angela to see their new apartment since we were already in town. Sunday we slept in (since we didn't get home until 1:30AM) after that we headed to Emily's recital which was AWESOME and then went to Amy Witt's going away party.


It was a jam packed weekend and very fun :) I regret that fun times will end with the start of another year!

Hey All!


I need your help. I am going to LTS in a week and a half to help run skill groups. I am doing the campfire group. I am wracking my brain for all the GOOD skits we use to do. Could you help me? List all the ones you remember!


Tia

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

So very few of you will be surprised by this, but guess what happened to me yesterday at my job........as a teacher............



*drum roll* I got BIT. Not like regular "nibble" I got "BITE DOWN HARD MAKE A HUGE MARK BREAK THE SKIN". I had to go to the Urgent Care (the one workman's comp sends you too) and get a tetnus (I would have had to have Hep B as well but I already have that, also please note Tetnus makes your arm hurt like a b$tch for several days ) and I had to have blood drawn, which I then have to repeat in 6 wks, 12 wks, and 6 months. *Joy*


You may be asking "Tia why did you get bit?" one of the kids in the other spec ed room was mad because he couldn't play so he started hitting and kicking his teacher, I got between him and the brick/concrete building in order to protect him from hurting himself. He lunged again at his teacher and I grabbed him to hold him back and he bit me. (one more addition the kids like 11 years old too)

The mark is unbelievable, it's on my right hand just below my thumb. The bruise is huge.


To top it all off as I was rushing to the Urgent Care place in order to get there before it closed (this all occured within the last 10 minutes of school) I got pulled over for my seatbelt, which I had on. However they said I put it on in mid-drive so I got a ticket. I might fight it. I tried to get the officer to cut me a break, but sadly Howell cops much like the pattern are @ss holes. I know you might claim he was doing his job, which he was but can't you cut a girl some slack? I just got freaking bit!

So I had a bad day....................to say the least.......here's to hoping today goes a little better.

So I am 3 days into my spring break............I wish I was somewhere tropical however that isn't an option so I am enjoying what vacation I do have.

Yesterday I went to the dentist. I need to cap a tooth I had a root canal on in Novemeber. Guess how much that costs? $850. However I have to wait until July becuase that's when my insurance will cover it (I used all this year's up getting the root canal). So I hope I can make it. I run the risk of the tooth cracking and then having to have the rest removed, but I can run that risk for $850.


I also did the doctor appointment rounds. What fun to do. It's just easy to do when I am on breal. Apparently I have to have a little minor outpaitcent procedure down in the next month or two. Nothing major, trust me you don't want me to go into more detail. It shouldn't be major, I just hate the crap that goes along with "outpaitient" work.


Well dinner is ready. I love and miss you all:)


T


SPING BREAK YEAH:)


PS Taking ANDY on a cool surprise tomorrow! Wait until I post about it!

I know a lot of you know Faith, and this email was sent to everyone she knows, but I also wanted it to be passed along. Please remember her family in your prayers.


Tia


Greetings everyone--
Some are aware, while others aren't-- So please bare with me here.

My mother has lung cancer, this began now 6 weeks ago. Tuesday, I assisted in admitting her in the hospital, St. John (where she works) becauses she was unable to breath and nonstop coughing fit. After extensive CAT scans and X-Rays, they know she is not fighting any upper respiratory infection.

She is currently on oxygen to help with the breathing. The test results have now shown that the masses have grown extensively, as well new growths have formed. This is an extreme case for lung cancer, making it difficult to find any plan of treatment.

Tomorrow morning a biopsy will be done--- giving her a 60% chance of collapsing of her lung due to the amount of mass in her lung. The biopsy is to give an idea the course of treatment, if any now for her. The reality is this is moving way too fast. It was just less than 7 weeks ago and she did not have any growths. And the medical system cannot move any faster, she is getting VIP service as it is.

It has been asked that family comes in--- Therefore Joy is flying in tomrorow morning. I will be picking her up from the airport at 9a. She will be with me until Monday, we were told that she can leave, and make those plans to leave. We aren't looking at that kind of timeline.

As far as the family goes--- here is your update:
Dad: he is staying the night with mom. He is lost right now, and has asked for me to help make some decisions without specifically giving up control. He refused to leave her today. He has cancelled pretty much everything on his end for church wise activities, but Sunday service.
Hope: she is Hope. I don't think she is grasping completely what is going on. She did get to come down this evening, however mom was really exhausted and didn't wake up.
Joy: she is really upset that she has not been able to come home to be with the family as she is in Chicago. She was hospitalized now just two weeks ago for a bad UTI, stressed induced. She is relieved to be coming home for the weekend so she can curl up with mom.
Donnie: he was just dumped last night (Wednesday) by his longterm girlfriend of 3.5 years for no real explanation. He is extremely depressed, however he will be staying with me a few nights.

Myself: I am trying to maintain strength for the family. I think I am finally breaking down, especially this morning when I takled with mom as she was in tears just asking for me to hurry to see her and hold her b/c she was scared. Monday is the church council mtg, remember, in which pastor w/the call committee will be asking for a vote to let me go. So next week that part of my life as well will begin to fall apart.


As always our family is full of faith-- We know that God is with us as we walk this path. We know that His will be done. However, we also know this is hurting all of us and one of the most difficult times in our lives.

Thank you for the prayers. Sometimes words can never express enough, and I know that as a minister, but the very presence does.

Blessings to you-
Faith

Well I made a decision about camp.........I decided not to go. I think Dan is pissed, but I can't help that. My only fear is that he will not even think about hiring me in the future which is something that scares me. However I needed to do what I thought was right.


I think I need a summer with Andy. This is really our first summer as a married couple, last some we were JUST married, so I feel like this is the first. I also need to do graduate course work so I can be done on time. I just need to get in gear.

So I am VERY sad not to be going there, but I had to say no. I feel very sad over it all and a part of me worries I made the wrong decision but I have to listen to my heart and this is what it told me.


Anyways so tonight was a really hurtful night for me. It will take a little back story.......so Andy and I are a part of our church's mission trip team. We are planning a 2009 trip to Costa Rica. The group is actively working to fundraise to go on the trip. ANdy and I are extremely busy because we are youth group leaders at our church. Well recently we decided to do a silent auction and coffee house music show. We recently got an email asking for someone to step up and organize the show (our names had been thrown around). I sent an email back and said that Andy and I were more than willing to run the show. I have since been working on getting acts and sending out emails.


Well tonight at church I am bombarded by people who are telling me that one of the members of our group (I will call her K) K is very hurt about the coffee house. I come to find out that she was in charge of previous coffee houses and feels as though she was passed over. I must have been confronted by 5 or 6 people. All very concerned and all very forward about how hurt K was feeling. I am totally confused because 1) I have NO IDEA who K is!! 2) I didn't do anything wrong. So in the end I need to email this person and be sure she doesn't feel hurt. While I think a lot of people were confronting me because they were concerned about K I felt like their concern came with judgement, making a judgement on what a cruel person I was. I was so hurt by the whole event, all this church folk who I barely know are making me feel terrible. I in no way wanted to make this K person feel bad. I didn't even know this situation existed.


As I left church I felt like everyone was upset with me. It is a sucky feeling because I feel like people think bad of me and I am totally new at church.


On top of that youth group has been confusing because we get these things thrown at us and Andy and I are in charge of them. Then when we do them our way we get people at church mad at us. It's like we aren't going to tell you what to do, but if you do it differntly that we expect then we will be mad at you.


I am totally frustrated, and hurt because I feel like church is the one place your shouldn't be judged and it's the only feeling I am getting lately!



Anyways thats me!

Tia

So I need some honest advice and I need it now...........



so awhile back in December I went to Gathering and somehow Dan Smith convinced to me to apply for camp this summer. I did because we all know that buy that bites you at Gathering..........well now I have a job. Red Pine Unit Director.


Ok so now I have to figure out if I truly want it, and if it is the best decision I can make for myself and for my family. There is a lot to consider, read on and give me your opinion.



Pros:
I have always wanted to work at MLC as RedPine UD, I mean from my first summer in 01' I have dreamed of the red pine UD job..........now I have it

It fits nicely with my job schedule and Dan is heavily recruiting me, it feels nice to be wanted

It's camp, it's where I fell in love, this place is like no other

I can have a really positive impact on camp, I could really help the staff

I love being outside and this would be a great thing for me


Cons:
I would be away from Andy, and the animals for a whole summer

It would interfere with my graduate school

I could make more money at my other summer job

My honeymoon with Andy would be postponed until August

A busy summer with no rest between school times

Being away from church

Missing my family




So I am so stuck............let me know what you think. I would appreciate it more than you know:) Please let me know! I have so much to think about!!!

Ok I hate to admit it but I have a vice, something I shouldn't do but still do regardless..........I ladies and gentlemen love Reality TV. I know most of you are screaming in disgust and I would agree, however we all have bad habits, mine is Reality TV.



So Sunday night one of my most FAVORITE shows concluded, the Amazing Race. It is an incredible show where teams travel around the world in sort of a adventure. It's very cool and they go to some amazing places. The final leg is three teams vying (sp?) for 1 million dollars. Two weeks ago my favorite team TK and Rachel were the last to arrive but escaped elimination. They came back and beat out Nate and Jennifer to go to the finale. This was very awesome becuase Nate and Jennifer were two of the worst people in the entire race. Always critisizing each other and being cruel and rude to the people in the countries they visited.

In the finale guess who won??? TK and RACHEL YESS!!!! It was one of those rare moments where semi-contrieved reality TV resembles a cheesy movies where the NICE GUYS FINISH FIRST. It truly put a smile on my face and made my evening. The two of them were beautiful people the kind of people I would hang out with. It sort of reminded me of Josh Best and maybe Eryn Molitor if they traveled the world. Level headed, down to earth with the hidden talent of ass-kickery. I was impressed.


If you didn't watch it check out the next season, it will be good to:)


Please don't make to much fun of me for this post:) I know I am lame!


T

So I know I rarely post, and yes I normally post when frustated but I think that comes from the outlet that journaling can be.

Life has been in the least.........frustrating.......my co-workers and boss are slowly driving me crazy. I hate my job right now and it has VERY little to do with the kids, in fact the saving grace of my job is the kids. They are what I enjoy, however the bullshit that is teaching, that is driving me crazy. This is my last year before tenure, for those who don't know until you have tenure you can't be fired for any reason without notice, with tenure you have a LOT more protection. I think this is why my job is so frustrating right now, I have had 3 years of ups and downs, but have loved my job, however this year I am struggling a lot. I leave work some days feeling worthless and like I am not doing my job, and that is frustrating. I haven't felt this helpless since student teaching, and that by far was one of the worst years of my life. I seriously considered not teaching after that but decided to go for it anyways.

On top of that outside of work has been frustrating. I am on this Alumni board for Michigan YMCA Youth in Government which is a program I was in during High School and loved. Well I have been on this board for 2 years, and when I went to reapply for my job I was not chosed to be on the board they chose a MUCH less qualified girl simply becuase she was friends with everyone on the board, little of it had to do with quality. That did not help my whole "feel like a failure" mentality.


I am so looking forward to the break. Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday. I like the food, the family and the relaxed feeling of it. I need it and want it to be a lazy day. I hope all of you are surronded by loved ones, whether you are related or not on this holiday:)


PS So Andy's dad is coming for Thanksgiving AND he is helping us paint inside the house, it is going to look SOOOO beautiful! Anyone and everyone is INVITED to come see it:)


Alright enough from me,


Tia

I am not in a good mood..............and it totally sucks. Some sh#t went down and work in which the following things are now going on;


1. I have a coworker who refuses to speak to me about her concerns instead emails my boss and my higher up boss thus creating a HUGE stink which needed not to happen. What a complete and total b#tch!


2. We are losing 1/2 a teacher i.e. one of our teacher now teachers here in the AM and another building in the PM her kids who are still here, well they fall on myself and another teacher

3. Rather than adding aides, they are cutting



Lord there are days when I wished I had choosed another field!

Have you ever had one of those days where everything gets done, you feel so accomplished and it's awesome?



this my friends is NOT one of those days!

So I am currently administering the MEAP test to my kids. Now there is a HUGE thing going down. Apparently the English Lang. Arts portion (ELA) has be COMPROMISED. Some newpaper in jackson,mi did a story on the MEAP and gave away details on one of the writing prompts so now EVERYONE MUST TAKE IT OVER. They estimate it will cost about ONE MILLION dollars to fix this problem. This my friends is SO STUPID. I am so glad state money goes to this.

So I have decided I want to be in better shape but I can't seem to get started? Anyone have any suggestions? Ones that you can fit in an EXTREMELY busy schedule!


Thanks,

T

So I have decided that fall is my FAVORITE season. It is by far the most beautiful. The departure of hot humidity and summer memories bring in the crisp air and the weekends spent at cider mills or playing frisbee in Canada. It also brings the Applebutter Festival which is my favorite fall event. I love walking the dogs on fall day the air smells so good. I can't describe it. I hope I can spend these fall weekends outside enjoying it:)

So school is back in full swing. First full week of school is coming to a close on this a temperate Friday. I am thanking God it finally made it. This year is going to be interesting.


They changed my job this year and instead of having three grades I now have one, which in one way is AWESOME becuase it's only one grade level schedule to get use to, in the past between fieldtrips, assemblies, fundraisers, and other things I couldn't tell up from down, however it also means I go from teaching kids who were pretty behind (at least 2-3 grade levels) to teaching kids who are all in 4th grade, but I have 7 who are like 1-2 graders, 2 who are almost to 4th grade, they just need help and 1 who is smarter than most fourth graders but man ask him to write a sentences and he is throwing a pencil at you. This I must add is a bit shall we say, um CRAZY. It's hard to manage all these kids and all their needs and where they need to be. The other factor which is causing me undo stress is the fact that they cut aide time. I have one student who is severly physically handicaped and she requires and aide for just her simple existance, she can't hold a pencil, so while she is smart as a whip (always thought that saying was weird) she need someone to help her. However an aide for her doesn't really exist in the morning. I get her off the bus, then get my 4 other lower students who need my help unpacking, unbuttoning coats, and etc. I then spend until 10:30 alone with her and 5 others getting morning work done. My aide arrives at 10:30 and stays until her lunch at 11:30-12:00 I then am left alone again with the student who needs her own aide as well as 7 other kids who need my assistance, at this point I attempt to teach reading (generally so far this consists of them listening to me read) and math (imagine trying to teach some kids to add, some to count, and some to multiply) all at the same time without any help. Needless to say my brain is on overload. Its not supposed to be this way, but as a teacher without tenure (aka fire me anytime you like)it's hard to raise a fuss, and so I am waiting patiently for the problem to be fixed. Hopefully SOON:)


Anwyays so most nights I do want to crack open a nice cold beer and lay on my couch doing nothing but that doesn't happen. Andy and I are helping to run ASLC High School youth group which we are trying to revive from almost death, I am happy to say we are going forward slowly but surely. This takes up EVERY tuesday night and some weekends. Then I have grad class on Thursday which might I say makes for one hell of a day.Then I have the high school "Diversity" club some mornings. I JUST got involved with this, the teacher who did it last year I was friends with and I liked the idea of a club (especially in a town as simple as Howell) and so now that teacher left so I said I would help the group (no one else will) and so that we keep me busy.

So needless to say I find myself busy. I like it though becuase it gives life a pace and a feeling of accomplishment. I was like this in High School too, I did everything, mostly becuase I existed in a town straight out of footloose and I did anything to avoid the combine races and corn field bonfires.


Anyhow I did not mean to make this post about how sad it is to be me, I realize how joyous my life truly is. I have a wondersful husbard (weird to say!), freinds who I get to spend time with and adore, great pets, a house, a good (but stressful) job, and a wonderful family. So I would say I am quite lucky.


To make you laugh at the end of this post, so one of my fav kids (I really don't have one though) so I always make the kids ask me to use to the restrooms. Well the other day my aide was in the room and I said to her "I am going to run to the restrooms real quick" to which my student says to me "Ms. Butler you need to ask permission" I had a little chuckle.


Yeah thats me:)

T