Back to the Grind

    Hello!  It has certainly been a nice week to come back to school.  I didn't realize that I would miss my students as much as I did, but it was terribly boring at home without them.  Unfortunately, it seems like they've been equally bored without me.  We're probably only a quarter through The Odyssey and they're already drowning in it.  Needless to say my cooperating teacher and I have our work cut out for us over the next few weeks.  But it is glad to be back.

    School has been a lot easier since we decided on co-teaching.  I've found that I'm able to get more work done, help out a little more around the room and get to know that kids a little better each day.  I already know them well enough, but just thinking about the rest of the year with them makes me feel great.  I'm looking forward to taking over come next Trimester, if I'm really ready.  I've already seen some massive improvements in some of the kids who were struggling before.  One in particular, one of my initial problem children, has proven to himself that reading isn't as bad as he thought it would be by actively seeking out books in a series he's loving right now.  Also, today actually, he was the only one in my class to get a 100% on our first grammar quiz!  I ran to catch up with him in the hallway outside my classroom after I graded all of them and he had the biggest smile!  It's stuff like this that makes me remember why I wanted to go into this profession and why I can't give up.  Right now I'm focusing on finishing my pedagogy statement that was supposed to be due last week, as well as other stuff for seminar a week from today.  Did I mention I'm hosting seminar next week too?  Time to decorate the classroom, bake a bunch of stuff to feed the masses and hope all goes well.

    As far as my health is concerned, nothing has really changed.  I feel that I've recovered better than expected from my biopsy and have had little to no complications.  That being said, I have noticed a few things I'm not happy about...like my hair falling out at a rapid rate and my feet and ankles swelling to abnormal sizes.  The fact that I now have cankles bothers me more than the fact that I'm slowly going bald.  The hair I can fix with a haircut, but when that might happen I have no idea.  I'm kind of looking forward to going back to short hair, as long as it looks like it did the last time I cut it.  I'm not sure how to fix the water retained in my lower extremities, but hopefully once we figure out what's wrong maybe it'll go away.  Now both doctors want me to get more blood work done by Monday, which is almost impossible considering I have NO time to run to both labs in one day, or even in two days really.  Plus it's not like the blood work will show anything different or anything that might help these side effects go away.  I'd rather not stay this way for longer than I have to...

    For TV this week, I'm going to focus on Once Upon a Time, Legend of Korra and Arrow, so put on your spoiler hats people.  So far Once has been juggling both the new Frozen storyline as well as the Regina plot to find her own happy ending.  I had a discussion today with a co-worker about possible angles and details that might give us viewers a clue as to what's really going on in Storybrooke, considering everyone apparently knows each other.  We know that Rumple is full of crap, the Snow Queen knows both Elsa and Emma, and Robin still has feelings for Regina.  Hook trying to blackmail Rumple was pretty cute, but I'm almost positive that Rumple will make him pay for that later on.  How is it Rumple is behind all of this stuff?  He knew that the house him and Belle spent their honeymoon in belonged to Merlin, (the hat from Fantasia gave it away), and he had contact with Anna, at least back in the Enchanted Forest, which he apparently doesn't remember, but I don't know if I buy that because he knows the Snow Queen, her relationship to Emma AND why she's here in the first place.  There's obviously something in it for him, so I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens.  What really bugs me is the relationship between Emma and the Snow Queen.  I think that Elsa's family tree might go a little further than she knew, but whether the Snow Queen is really her aunt or maybe someone a little closer is still up for debate.  They tend to drag these things out, so we may not even get an answer until the end of this season.  Also, did anyone else scream when they realized WILL IS BACK?!?  This won't be the last we see of him, but he was oddly familiar with the Snow Queen's business, so that's interesting...  So many questions, so little time!

    In Legend of Korra, we get to see where Korra has been this whole time, leading up to the big reveal at the end of TOPH!!  I was so excited to see someone from the original Avatar series other than Katara I almost fell off my chair.  We had been teased about a potential Toph/Avatar reunion last season, but I didn't think they would do it so soon.  Unfortunately, it looks like we'll have to wait a little longer for that conversation, considering that tomorrow's episode looks like it'll focus more on Mako and the new Earth kingdom.  I hate it when they do that...

    Arrow hasn't disappointed either as of late.  The murderous death of Sara came as a shock to me, honestly.  I didn't think they would kill her off at all.  We do know that she knew her attacker, so it's only a matter of time before Oliver connects the dots, probably with a little help from Laurel, who will most definitely take up a Canary alter-ego.  I hate the fact that Felicity was so close to bagging Oliver just to walk out on him to join The Atom, (unbeknownst to her, obviously).  I was really hoping for that connection, but I guess they just can't let it happen.  I am curious to see how they incorporate Thea back into the mix, now that she's been training heavily with her real father.  For what purpose still remains to be seen. but I sense a sibling cage match in our future at the very least.
    That's all from me for now.  I can't believe it's already the middle of October...  I feel like this month is moving by so fast and I don't have time to get everything done that I need to!  With everything I still have to do for school, work and my illness it's amazing I even find the energy to leave my bed every day.  Did I mention that my husband and I are crazy and we're thinking about moving soon?  When that'll be we have no idea, but hopefully it's before May.  We'd like to not freeze to death this winter or succumb to poverty, but who knows?  Everything in my life is still up in the air and it looks like it'll stay that way for awhile.  At this rate, I'm relieved to still have my sanity.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.

Break Time

    Hello everyone.  Sorry the blog's late again, but I'll be getting to that issue shortly.  I've realized that since starting camp while simultaneously trying to plan at least the first couple weeks of classes before school starts I've had a hard time keeping to my blogging schedule.  I know I've cut down to only one day, but I think it's time to take a little break, only until September.  I will be working nonstop almost with almost no breaks, save for when I take a week off at the end of this month.  Needless to say I'll be sad, but I'm hoping to start back up again in the fall with a new perspective.  There will be more TV on and I would've started my first teaching internship, which I plan on chronicling through here.  The entire year should be really interesting, eye-opening and beneficial to my future career.  To put more focus on making sure I'm prepared, I'm giving up blogging for the remainder of the summer.  Come September I will hopefully be better prepared to blog more often about different things, including things of an educational nature.  I hope this doesn't disappoint any of my frequent readers, (if any), but I'd rather just take a break straight away rather than be late or non-existent every week.  This is for the good of everyone involved and I'll be re-energized to hop back on the blogging bandwagon in September.
    That being said, this will be my last entry for awhile, so I will try to update as much as I can, (including my past couple recaps for The Bachelorette!)  Camp has been great so far, with only a few hardships.  I've been having trouble adjusting to the constant heat and humidity so my body is rebelling in every way possible.  Right now my left knee is killing me and my joints in general have been terrible.  Unfortunately I'm currently out of meds, so I'll have to wait until my next shipment arrives, but I'll be fine until then.  I'm just hoping my breathing gets easier after the fact this time...  Although it's been mentally and physically draining at times, I've enjoyed coming back to camp.  I missed interacting with the kids and having fun during the summer.  I couldn't have done that behind a desk at a retail store, that's for sure.

    As for The Bachelorette, (SPOILERS PEOPLE), I'm pretty comfortable with my predictions this season.  So sorry about Dylan, but he really wasn't the right fit for her anyway.  I'm sure he'll find a nice Boston lady.  Anyway, the rest of my Top 5 seemed to have made the cut, save for Brian and Marcus.  Nick is completely unnecessary at this point seeing as he's just playing this game instead of actually falling in love, but knowing this show Andi will probably end up picking the guy everyone doesn't like.  I'm still rooting for Chris overall now that poor Marcus is gone...he really was a great guy.  I don't particularly like Josh at all and I find him incredibly dull.  I've barely been watching because the dates have been kind of repetitive, but I'm keeping track of who's left and I'm not surprised.  Can't wait to see who she actually ends up with!  GO CHRIS, THE SEXY FARMER GUY!!

    Besides The Bachelorette, my husband and I have been watching the third season of Legend of Korra, which is a spin off cartoon series based on Avatar.  It takes place years after Aang, the last Avatar.  It has been great so far and we've seen some familiar faces from the Avatar series, so I'm looking forward to seeing where they take this season.  It's one of the best cartoon series I've ever seen!  Other than that, I'll be eagerly waiting the premier of the Guardians of the Galaxy movie, coming out August 1st, and then the new TMNT movie on the 8th.  I will be getting midnight showing tickets and I could not be more excited!!
    Well that's it!  I hope everyone enjoys their summer and has time to get out and enjoy the sunshine!  I'll be counting the days until I can write back again.  Until next time, I remain your faithful correspondent.