Randomness....just randomness

So often I hear people lament the beginning of school again after a break but I personally am quite content with being back in school full-time with my students. I absolutely love my job and, almost, everything about it. I have spent this week not only getting myself back into the swing of my school day but as an opportunity to do a major overhaul on my attitude and the way I interact with my students. I have found myself avoiding power struggles, allowing students to calm down much longer before I begin discussing the consequences for their outbursts, and have found myself laughing much more often with my students. I am feeling great about my ability to rock at my job and am lucky to have had a training that was not only beneficial to me as a trainer but as a teacher. Sometimes I don't know why someone wouldn't want to do my job every day :)

While I would be lying to say vacation wasn't exactly what the doctor prescribed, I have to admit that I am becoming excited about school beginning for the next semester. I am excited to see my students, hear about their presents and hug them when thy tell me they ran out of food or didn't get the toys they wanted. I signed up for my job because I love my students. I didn't sign up to be gone all the time, nor did I sign up for my job for the paycheck. I signed up for my kids and I love every second of being with them. In my line of work it is important to take time for myself so I don't burn out but I am ready to end the me time and get back to doing what I signed up for.

New Years always brings about tons of people making promises that they won't end up keeping and with the surge of social media these promises are often publicly broadcast but it seems that no one holds each other accountable anymore. I can't decide if people don't point out to their friend that they vowed to work out 3 times a week but doesn't or if their boyfriend promised to spend more time with them but doesn't because they didn't keep up with their resolutions either or if they are just too wussy to point out to someone that they failed.
I have never made huge resolutions on New Years. When I was a kid I did the "I'm going to watch less TV" thing or the "I'm going to eat more vegetables this year" thing but I was never successful. As I grew older I began to realize that this holiday sets everyone up for disappointment. Let's face it. We just had a month-long holiday celebration where we spent too much money on gifts and decorations, ate too much candy and didn't work out as much as we should have. This can only lead a person to make promises about these things that they can't keep and people are rarely successful when they are reacting to a situation that is too new or they are only doing something because it is expected of them.
It is always best to make promises that you can keep and since I do not like making New Years Resolutions, even the one that says I won't make one, I am going to make some promises to myself right here in social media public.
#1-I promise to work hard at my new job.
#2-I promise to not point out everything about my boyfriend that annoys me. Especially in front of his friends.
#3-I promise to continue to call my grandmother at least every other day.
#4-I promise to contact my father once a week, regardless of our schedules.
#5-I promise to begin paying into that IRA I had set up.
#6-I promise to keep every promise I make.

That should about do it. You should think about this friends. Instead of making promises you can't keep, make a promise to yourself to be better than you were before, or at the very least not be worse.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! and safe driving tonight if you venture out.

Life has changed quite a big lately. I'd love to say that it's changed because I made some personal decision to better myself or some drastic life-altering event has occurred lately but alas, it is not so. I came to the realization the other day that I was happy. Not happy as in, okay yes that'll do but happy as in, can't quit smiling and nothing phases me happy. It's been quite some time since I was happy. I was having a conversation about mom and high school the other evening and realized that I don't think I've been genuinely just happy since before mom died. I had gotten into a groove. I was walking through life without really taking anything in or letting anyone get close to me that didn't work really hard for it. And a couple months ago I met a guy that is the complete opposite of me. Every fault I have, he doesn't possess. Which is weird. I tend to be tied to not so great guys in my history and right now that just isn't the case. I'm crazy and neurotic and slightly insane at times. Nothing phases this man. He glides through life totally content to live in the moment and just hope things work out well. He doesn't freak out about things like I do. He takes the time to watch movies and do things for himself, which we all know is something I'm rather horrible at. But it's changed things. I've found myself being able to let go of the crazy neurotic moments more and more and focus more on the moment instead of worrying about where I'm going to be as soon as this piece of my schedule is complete. I have begun scheduling free time. A bit backwards if you ask me but it works. He has forced me to stop and smell the roses. And this my friends, is where I divulge the secret to life. You have to work hard to get where you want to be but you have to enjoy the journey. Because some day you may get to your goal but all too often we fall short. And if you don't enjoy the journey, you will have nothing that made the journey worth it.

I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day. And yes, before you wonder, I am single. However, I have never been a fan of Valentine's Day. I mean c'mon people, why is it that once a year you have to make a public show of how much you love someone? I'm that girl that when you ask me what I want for Valentine's Day and I say nothing, I mean it. Don't buy me chocolate, don't get me a stuffed animal, don't even bother trying to take me out to dinner. You should do this sporadically throughout the year. Don't let American corporations dictate when you should show me how much you love me. Besides, it's pretty easy to go to a store and buy a box of chocolates but it's really hard to turn down plans with your friends to come see a show I've spent 6 weeks working on. That's love. Someone who can put their needs below my happiness once and a while. Not just on a day that society has decided is important.
I'm sure most of you are thinking something along the lines of, "just shut up you single, jaded girl." Seriously though, this has nothing to do with being jaded. I like my single life. Sure it's not easy to be the 3th or 5th wheel with my friends sometimes but I adore my friends and at the end of the day, I have people to call when I need a hug. I don't need the 'girlfriend' title to feel important. My friends are my family and I love them each. They will drop their lives for me at 3 am if I need them to and I would quickly do the same in return. Spend an hour in a high school classroom full of freshmen on Valentine's Day and you will find yourself thinking the holiday is just as repulsive. I found myself wondering all day long how many of these 'relationships' would last the week and how many of these 'gifts' were bought with more than sex on the mind.
I'll get off my high horse now. But it seriously made my day when I said, "happy VD" to a co-worker and admitted I hate Valentine's Day; to which he replied, "I hate VD." Sometimes, it's the little things in life.

Life has been a tad crazy lately. I'm just glad I have some amazing friends. It's funny how you think your life has finally come full circle and things are going to work out the way that they should and then you're suddenly blind-sided. Life was great and I thought I'd finally found my American Dream. Boy was I wrong. But after some serious crying and being depressed, I've managed to work my way back to where I was before the whole thing started. I'm so lucky to have friends that just love me to death and will put up with my crazy girl moments when they happen. Cling to the people who accept you for the real you and forget the bad times in your life. Life is short, full of heartache and we all end up same in the long run. Enjoy the marathon everyone!