Randomness

I have to say it: I love my job. It is challenging every day to keep my patience and maintain some semblance of sanity amidst the sea of 100+ children for 3 hours a day Monday through Friday, but somehow it fits me well. Of course, I am only in my 4th week, so things are still new and different, yet the fact that every day is somewhat different from the day before makes me think that it won't get old super fast.

Unfortunately, the school is undergoing construction, which means there is no playground accessible. This seems tragically unfair because what school day is complete without expending a little bit of energy on the swingset or the monkey bars? Enter the challenging aspect of my job: No outdoor playtime = cabin-fever Pre-k thru 5th graders. Eek! It's also a shame because the weather has taken a turn for the lovely here in Florida these last couple of days. A beautiful cold front has brought bright, sunshiny days, a cool breeze and a cool temperature of 65-70 degress. It would be great to play outside in this weather!

Fall is my favorite season, hands down. Hot chocolate, warm, fuzzy slippers, hoodies - who doesn't look good in one? The always-funny trick of placing icy cold fingers on your beloved's back is also a perk of fall.

And now, here is a bug:

We found this big guy by the mail boxes the other day. Also in the picture is Ryan's lovely hand as a size comparison. If you can, click on the picture and check out the intricate details of the moth's wings. It was really incredible.

Thank you. Goodnight.

Wahooo! I finished my homework and turned in my assignments on time!

In other news, I am utterly exhausted. Last night I was up until the wee hours of the morning, tossing and turning. Mostly, I was just stuck inside my own head, worrying. Apparently for me, the terrorists aren't foreigners threatening the safety of our nation, but locals who seem not to care about people in general. I received an email the other day from UCF - one of those general letters to students about safety. It spoke of an armed robbery that happened last week, not 10 miles away from where I live. 2 men held another man at gun point, forced him to drive to an atm, withdraw money and then drop them off at another point. He only received a sharp blow to the head when the robbers first got to him, but the stress of the situation must have been through the roof! Of course, there will be violence wherever I choose to live, it is inescapable. But sometimes, the fear of that type of situation, especially so close to home (literally), can really shake my world.

Ryan's suggestion is to "just think about something else". Easier said than done my friend, easier said than done. My efforts to think of something else had me watching a show about "Amazing Cakes" at 4am. Clearly, that is not conducive to a good night's sleep.

Now let's see...

venti coffee - check
homework - check
books - check
motivation - missing, last seen before the cruise. If anyone has any information regarding its whereabouts, please contact me immediately.

I an no longer worhtless!

Ladies and gentleman, I finally have a job. I got a message from Seminole County Public Schools while I was on the cruise. We got in touch today and she said I can start today if I wanted to. I am officially an extended-day care "Child Care Provider". Holla.

My first day was interesting. There were about 100 or so kids and 6 adults. Some of the women working there were kind of terrifying, think tall, large women shouting at children to sit down and be quiet for the first 20 minutes. I chose a more quiet, and somewhat more effective method of pacing the tables and asking them to quiet down. I'm not sure that I would be happy with my kid getting screamed at if I were a parent. I think in some ways it was necessary to get control over the large group of children, but the shouting was a bit excessive.

It'll be good experience. We spend about an hour helping the kids with their homework by age group and then playing games and doing small activities. I was assigned to work with the 2nd graders which couldn't have been more perfect for me. I'm trying to learn as much as I can about that particular age group, so going over their work and looking at the activities/homework helps me see what level they're working on.

Everyone I work with seems friendly and the kids, though rambunctious, seem manageable. I am so thankful to be employed! It has really eased my mind.

Welcome Home!

We're back! We had a fantastic time sailing the Caribbean, visiting Key West, Cozumel and Belize. The food was delicious and the company was even better. Dinnertime was everyone's favorite part of the day. What other time will you have 2 people serving you anything you ask for? Guilly and Bahadir a.k.a. John Travolta always remembered our drinks, Mike's allergies and they were always so friendly! The weather was absolutely gorgeous. There were a couple of days on the boat where we could really feel the waves, but for the most part it was smooth sailing.

Some nights after dinner, Ryan and I played Scrabble. One day, Ryan, his mom and I played Monopoly. Ryan beat us handily, though he hit some hard times with taxes on his plethora of hotels and houses.

We went on a cave tubing excursion in Belize. There was a 35 minute hike down to the river, followed by a slow ride through a couple of caves. We made a human chain on our tubes and used our headlights to see through the dark caves. I was kind of creeped out by the darkness and the bats nestled above us. It was an interesting experience. The water wasn't terribly cold, except when it dripped down on us from above which added to the creepiness.

Anywya, we had a great time and here are the pictures to prove it:



Me and Ryan in the Solarium.



The first day we had lunch in the Windjammer Cafe.

Ryan's mom won the first night's raffle! A huge bottle of rum.

The nightly shots with special shot glasses. There was a different color for every night. Nina's shot glass had pineapple juice and cranberry juice. Mine was something way too strong for my taste. Ryan downed it for me.

Here we are on formal night.

Now it's back to the every day life in Florida for all of us. We will definitely have to plan another trip soon!