not my usual monday

Today was a pretty normal day, but when I really think about it there were lots of good things that happened to me. Usually Mondays kind of suck but, maybe because of the awesome weather, I was in a really good mood.

• I went to church last night and it was a really nice experience. I love the Canisius chapel and always feel so at peace when I’m there. Last night was the candle lit mass, which is my favorite. But it was extra special last night. My friend is going through the classes to be confirmed and as part of the class they have to go to church every Sunday night. They are incorporated in the mass someway every week which is really nice. Last night, they lined all the candidates in the aisle to be blessed and asked everyone to stand next to their friends to show their support. My friend didn’t realize I was at mass so when I walked up next to her she was really surprised and happy. It was just very meaningful and I was happy to be part of it.


• Today started out as a really good day. You know how some morning are just easier than others? Well that was what today was like. My alarm went off (I usually loathe my alarm) and I was wide awake. I strolled to class in the beautiful weather and was just in a good mood. The best part though? Remember this exam? Wellll... I did fail it with less than a 50 the first time I took it. The professor gave me an extension to retake the exam this semester. It took one frantic night of studying with Mike for me to learn enough to pass. I returned the book today, so the class is literally out of my hands now!


• I had a good day at work too. I worked with 2 girls on their homework then helped them study for a math test. Math is definitely not my strongest subject but I can handle the 3rd grade curriculum. Studying turned into playing school and I became the student. (Playing school is still way more fun if you get to be the teacher…) I solved a division problem the girls thought was especially difficult and I became the class genius! They even gave me a parade for solving it! (Someone should tell my logic teacher I deserve a parade for passing!) But more than just getting praised for solving a problem, I really got through to these girls. It was nice to see that I could make learning fun for them and actually have fun myself.


• 1 grad school interview down, 3 to go!! Yes interviews suck, but at least I got this far! :)


• Now I’m ending a good day with a great night. I have an early doctor’s appointment tomorrow so I’m home for the night. I got a real home cooked meal and I get to sleep in my own bed. Which I am going to do right now!
  

Esther and I go to a step aerobics class together on Saturday mornings. The first session just ended and Esther asked if I wanted to rejoin. I hesitated because I never know what Friday night will bring, and being energetic that early in the morning is just not my thing. Those of you who know me realize that sleeping in makes me very happy. I decided to stick with it again because, in my exact response to Esther, “I HATE it sooo much” but I really do feel good afterwards. We also do weights and abs that always leave me sore. We also started swimming lessons with Julia and Miles yesterday so we were at the Y for hours.



Jump to today where I had to participate in a bowling tournament for work and well, I’m ready for bed. The bowling tournament was actually pretty fun, despite the fact that 90% of our staff members are in college, therefore hungover on Sunday mornings. Our boss was so proud of us as we guzzled our Gatorade. :) I actually had the highest score on my team (which isn’t saying much) and won a party for 10 at Coldstone in a raffle!



Moral of the story: Lifting weights and being in a bowling tournament will leave your arms feeling like jell-o. Also, getting 4 hours of sleep and having a killer hangover really suck.



While I'm still at theBloFoYoMoFos:
My favorite gift was from the same Christmas as this.

BufBloPoFo.... maybe

She was a BufBloPoFoHo... FoSho

Well, I’m not too sure I’m ready to commit to such a serious blog event, but I’ll play along until I get bored with it.

I didn’t technically start my own blog. Being the brat that I am, I always made fun of Mike for being such a blog nerd. He always tried to convince me to start my own but I refused over and over. So one day I was reading my email and saw that Mike sent me something like this: “hey how’s it going, blah blah blah.. oh yea, I made you a blog.” And, uhh, that’s it. That was almost a year ago but I didn’t even know about it until months later. So here I am, a converted blog nerd.

See you tomorrow...

maybe

these are a few of my favorite things

Spice Girls

Here are some pictures from the Spice Girls concert a few weeks ago. It seems like it was months ago! We had an amazing time and it really was a great experience. The crowd was made up of girls in their 20's and gay men. The gay couple sitting next to us was there for the second night in a row. When Posh did a cat walk to Vogue by Madonna... they cried. Actual tears.

Sporty, Ginger, Posh, Scary, Baby

Ginger in her old school British flag dress.

One of many, many costume changes.

Last song of the night.

Cold Day!

Even though my house is freeeezing and my walk to class was brutal, the frigid temperature is so worth it. I have a cold day off from work because Buffalo schools are closed! Woooo!

I do love my job though. The kids are hilarious (most of the time) and I do feel like I'm making a difference (sometimes). I've been working with a group of 4th graders for the past few weeks on pages of homework everyday. If one kid in their class acts out, the teacher will add on a few extra pages of math homework for everyone. They end up spending the entire 3 hours doing homework instead of enjoying their after school program. I am always tempted to write that mean teacher a little note telling her to give these kids a break!

A lot of the kids, especially the girls, have been giving themselves haircuts (at home, thank God!). A little girl in kindergarten came in with the best mullet I've ever seen. Imagine this on a 5 year old girl...

I meant to post all the Christmas presents and hand made cards I got from the kids. I got some beautiful napkin rings, hand written books and even a half-eaten candy cane. This is the first (of many, I'm sure) Valentine picture I got.

I hope everyone has a fabulous "Vaentines" Day!

spice up your life

I'm driving to Toronto in a few hours to go to the Spice Girls concert. My roommate and I both agreed that last night was like Chirstmas Eve, where we had that excited/nervous sleep when you wake up every few hours just to check the time. This is shameful to admit, but we went to Target last night to see if they had this on DVD, since we both only have it on VHS. (Note to self: Target employees, as professional as they may be, will laugh in your face). We are staying in a nice hotel, thanks to my roommate's dad who agreed it was the responsible thing to do. Look for pictures in a few days!