I'm Having Nightmares of a White Christmas!!!

Let me clarify the title of this post. I would love to see a beautiful snowy white Christmas! What I don't want to see is a full set of white hair on my head this holiday season! I swear I have been finding more and more white hairs. Come on! I am only 27!! Lately, it is really getting to me. I cleaned out my brush the other day and found a couple of white hairs. I picked some hair off the floor this morning....one of them was white. I was brushing my teeth last night and found a long white hair right along my hair line. What's up with that!?!?!? I am just pulling them out hoping my hair is just covered with paint from my classroom. I haven't gotten my hair colored in awhile and I'm going in on Monday. I am hoping this will help me with my paranoia of looking like a grandma. My mom said that my aunt went completely grey/white by the time she was 30. Shoot! Thanks for putting me and my few white hairs in your thoughts, we appreciate it! :)

Livin' La Vida Loca!

I got a call on October 29th from the principal from Woodin Elementary School in Northshore School District. One of her teachers went on family leave the first week of October to adopt a son in Guatemala. After a couple of weeks, her long term substitute decided the job was too much and quit. Angela Kerr, the principal at Kokanee, where I have worked a lot, recommended me to this principal. I was flattered my name was recommended as someone who could help out when they were in a bind but also very nervous to hear the details of the job. First of all, it was a full day Kindergarten. KINDERGARTEN!! They are so young and needy. I felt my energy drain out of me right away. There are 24 children in the class which is a LOT of young and needy children. The kicker is that the class is a dual language program. Half the children speak Spanish and half speak English and they are emerged to help them learn a second language. The principal came and observed me on HALLOWEEN (the worst day of the year for teachers...tied with the day after due to the candy hangovers) and called me November 1st to tell me she'd like to have me teach the class until January 15th. I went to check out the classroom that day for about 15 minutes to see what I was getting myself into. Complete craziness! I don't think there were rules or structure and the kids were soooo loud! At this point, I started to freak out!

On top of the craziness with the kids, the classroom was a complete disaster. If anyone knows me, they know I like to be organized and clean. This was my worst nightmare. I couldn't see tabletops, desk tops, counter tops, floor space, etc. Everything was covered with random papers, piles, boxes, etc. The books in the library were thrown in with no system. The dust on shelves and around the room would make anyone sneeze. My heart stopped and I wondered how in the world I was going to teach in that environment. I came back the next day (Friday) and stayed a few hours after school cleaning up. I had no clue where to start. I cleaned off the teachers desk and did a few other small things, but it got late and I had to go. On Saturday, I met with the other Kindergarten teacher, who is super nice and helpful, to go over lesson plans for the next week. It was hard to plan lessons for kids I didn't now. Especially in a language I didn't know. I don't know how I got through that day but I did. I haven't been that overwhelmed in a long time.

To make a super long story with tons of details shorter than I could make it, I started on Monday (11/5) and I have not stopped working ever since. I went back to the "September" lessons of setting rules and routines in the classroom. The kids and I have been getting to know each other and taking things slow. The first 20 minutes of meeting the kids were accompanied by me learning about one of my students who had separation issues. His mom left and he started yelling and screaming. I couldn't hear anything or hear myself think. Luckily, the principal knew this would happen and came in to hold him down while he was screaming. I tried to get the other kids unpacked and on the carpet to introduce myself and try to be excited but all they could hear was this boy screaming. The kids started covering their ears and were saying they had a headache. Finally the principal went in the hallway with the child, but it was still very loud for a good 20 minutes. Serenity now!

We only had 4 days of school this week since Friday was a teacher work day. It felt like 4 weeks. I think the kids are very sweet and cute but there is so much to do and I feel like I was thrown into a construction zone . I've been going in before school and staying as late as possible after school before I have to go to my other jobs. I leave around 7 am and get home around 9 pm. I have been surviving, but it's just been a lot.

I am lucky to have a great assistant who speaks Spanish and is with me for 4 hours of the day. She has been my lifesaver. Half of the day is supposed to be ONLY spoken and taught in Spanish. I do the best I can with my high school Spanish, but even then, the 5 year olds correct me all the time. My assistant does a lot of the Spanish teaching, but we've had to cut a lot of time out of the day since I am not fluent. The principal knew this and had the option of hiring someone who was a fluent speaker, but decided to choose me since I had more experience. This might have been one of those times that I wouldn't have minded if I wasn't chosen for the job. :) I do feel lucky to have this opportunity to prove to this principal and others that I am a hard worker and that they would benefit from having me on their staff. I hope this will help with my job search for next year. When things seem overwhelming, I keep thinking about how this will benefit my future and hopefully the lives of the children in my class.

If you made it through all of this, thanks for staying with me on my long post. People have been asking what has been new and I haven't had the time to really let them know. Hopefully this will give you a small glimpse into the life of Fife right now. I'll keep you updated on my new adventure and how my Spanish is coming along. I knew I should have studied more in my Spanish class in high school! :) Adios for now.

Serenity Now, Insanity Later!

Has anyone seen this Seinfeld episode? It's a classic. I tend to say "serenity now" when things are stressful to help me get through. I feel like I've been saying it a lot lately so I had to add this clip today. My life is maxed out with "stuff" and I have been staying super busy. But life is good. I am happy and healthy which I couldn't ask for more. I feel like I'm being stretched in my life right now and I feel like I am being prepared for something in the future. There has to be a reason so much is going on in my life right now and I am interested to find out why. I started a third job a couple of weeks ago. I am subbing during the days, tutoring an old student once a week after school and working at a spa in Bothell three nights a week. It is called It Figures. Some family friends (the Soanes, who I watched their daughter while they were in Europe) just bought and took over the business and I'm helping out a few evenings a week. It has been nice earning some extra money but it has been hard having my nights taken away. It makes it hard to find the time to do the little things like take care of insurance claims, figuring out why I am STILL getting bills from the hand surgery I had in May, completing my church responsibilities, finding time to eat and work out, doing laundry, etc. I can't complain about not finding time to eat. I've lost a few pounds from stress and it actually feels kind of nice. :) It seems like right when I have a moment of peace, something else appears. I hope I'm not complaining in any way! Life is busy and at times overwhelming, but I am so grateful that I am smiling each day and enjoying life. There have been times in my life where I couldn't have handled all of this "stuff" but I feel blessed for these experiences and opportunities that will help me grow and become a stronger, better Emily. So I have serenity now and I'll save the insanity for later.

Cruisen with my Homies, Part Dos

Here is the second set of pictures from my trip. They are a little out of order from the stops we made. We first went to Cabo San Lucas, then to Mazatlan and our last stop was to Puerto Vallarta.

We took a boat ride tour to a private island in Puerto Vallarta. I guess it is called Caletas??? If you speak Spanish, maybe you can tell me. This was the nicest place ever! It seriously was like a set from a movie. It used to be owned by a movie director and it was his own private island. He opened it up to the public a few years ago. It was so relaxing and there were many things to do there. We were first served a very authentic meal, walked around the island, where we saw a gecko, monkey and birds, laid out, went snorkeling, laid out again then enjoyed the best massage. Up above the little island were small tiki huts secluded for massage therapy. I got a 1/2 hour massage and the whole time could hear the waves crashing and the birds chirping. It was such an amazing environment. It was a great experience.

I loved the bathrooms at this place. This happens to be a men's bathroom, but they are all individual little huts.

On our boat ride back. My hair is wet and massage oily, but I'm relaxed with my pina colada!

Our last shopping stop in Puerto Vallarta. This was my favorite little shopping center. Look to the left, top corner and you will see Mexican Wrestler Masks. I searched everywhere for the Nacho Libre mask for my brother. The people here were fun to shop and barter with. I got the mask! Now my brother just needs to get some stretchy pants and he has a great costume.

Another "formal night" dinner.

Standing by a fertility goddess in Cabo San Lucas on the city tour.

We had lunch here before we went to the beach in Cabo San Lucas.

Karrie and I got a little action from Senior Frog in Mazatlan.

The Old Mazatlan Market sells everything to souvenirs to every part of the pig.

Standing outside of a beautiful church in Mazaltan.

Cruisen with my Homies, Part Uno

Hola Amigos! Here are a few pictures of my trip to Mexico. It was a fun trip with wonderful weather. This trip came at the most perfect time!! I really needed a "vacation from my problems" (What About Bob, anyone???) and laying out in the sun with no worries was just what I needed. Add a couple of pina coladas and an all you can eat buffet and I was in heaven. Not to mention complimentary room service, midnight buffets, 5 course dinners every night and much more. What a great escape from the daily routines! I went on the cruise with my roommate, Karrie and her family. Suzy Bramwell and I tagged along with their family. They are great fun to be around!

Our first stop was in Cabo San Lucas. We went on a city tour which ended at a beach for a couple of hours before going back to the boat. I have to say, Cabo wasn't my favorite place, but the water was the best out of all three stops.

Our Dawn Princess ship from afar.

This was one of our "formal nights". I left the prom dresses at home, but there were some who brought them and were living it up.

Mocktails, anyone?

Muy Bueno!

We are thinking about having this enlarged and framed above the fireplace so it's the first thing you see when you walk into the condo. If not that, then it could be our Christmas card so keep your eyes open in your mailboxes. (I am seriously joking here!!)

Here is one of the million pictures they take of you when you get on and off of the boat. We got a free one so we chose this one. They are so flippen expensive!

What happened to September???

It's been awhile since my last post. Life has been busy, busy, busy and I haven't been home since around Labor Day. I just got back from a cruise to Mexico (I will post that next) and before that, I watched a 15 year old family friend while her parents were in Europe for three weeks. Living with five pets (dog, cats, SNAKES), a house to clean, dinner to cook, a homecoming to shop for, drama with homecoming dresses, etc.....the three weeks went by very fast. I haven't been home since September and I can't believe October is almost over. I hope now that I'm home and life is getting settled, I'll be able to keep up with my posting. So, let me get you caught up starting with picture of the Evergreen State Fair from Labor Day!

My roommate Karrie and me eating JUMBO corn dogs!

This is one of my favorite treats at the fair! Pina Colada with chocolate dripped on the inside of the cup. Yummy! It got me in the mood for the cruise to Mexico!

With my friend, Lisa Low.

Karrie Pelton and Lisa Low at the Rodeo! Yeehaw!

Back to School

It's that time again! This is the first time in three years that I am calm on the night before the first day of school. It is weird knowing that I won't be meeting my students tomorrow. One of my traditions before the first day of school was to watch the movie, Billy Madison. I watched it just for the part with him waiting for the bus and singing. I couldn't start the year without it. I would sing it in my head during the entire drive to school. For those of you going back to school or are sending children off....enjoy a little song on me. Hope this year is full of delicious snack packs!