I Hate Hate*

I am so unbelievably disappointed right now.

For the past several weeks I?ve been following the news about Proposition 8 (Proposition 8 is a California State ballot proposition that amended the state Constitution to restrict the definition of marriage to a union between a man and a woman.). It has been an extremely controversial topic and with the election this week those in favor of Proposition 8 narrowly won.

Okay. I?ll be honest here?I was shocked. I honestly didn?t think that this amendment had a shot in heck at winning. I?m all for equality, but I definitely see the arguments for both sides of this thing.

The main premise behind the arguments against Proposition 8 was to ?fight against hate?. Not to target a specific group of people. Equality. Right?

So, I?m so absolutely disappointed because even though yes, this amendment passed, those that were fighting against hate are now fiercely promoting it. The Latter-Day Saint church has been targeted as the big bad wolf because they contributed significantly ($$$) to the campaign and apparently are not entitled to their own political opinion?! I understand that people believe that they used their money and power to ?sway? the vote, but seriously?what about the millions of Californian voters who voted in favor of Proposition 8 by their own free will and choice?

Everyone needs someone to blame, right?

So here is the real root of my frustration: people are now doing EXACTLY what they are claiming the church did?attempting to sway others against the church because they believe it is at fault. Websites outlining the church?s ?faults? are cropping up left, right and center and are SO extremely biased it?s ridiculous. I also just read that several very influential bloggers are even trying to ?Boycott Utah? by encouraging skiers to find new locations this year and by telling the world to Boycott the Sundance Film Festival. Seriously!? It?s all just SO ridiculous. SO SO ridiculous.

To recap?many (not all) who were fighting against hate, are now promoting it.

Isn?t that nice?

Shop Girl*

My Class is TOO Big, I Can't Handle It!!

Somehow I?ve already completed two weeks of my placement. I cannot believe how quickly the time is passing?in no time at all I?ll stop being the teacher and become the student again. *sigh* How many sleeps until May?

So, my first week was AMAZING. Seriously. I officially and completely love this profession! My nerves completely dissolved by Wednesday, and my associate teacher even commented to me that he often forgets that I?m just a student teacher. (HOORAY!!!) That really meant a lot as he?s not the type of person to give undue praise?when he doesn?t like something he?s quite vocal about it.

This week I focused a mini-unit on popular culture and the kids really seemed to enjoy it! We?ve been doing ?pop culture presentations? on their favourite item or aspect of pop culture, and so far I?ve been really impressed with them!! Monday is my last day of teaching (to finish up the presentations) and I?ll let you know which one was my favourite. I did a demo for them about? BLOGGING!! I didn?t let on that I was a blogger though, so my little site stays hidden. YAY

Wanna hear the funniest part of the week? Guess how many students I started out with in my class today?20? 33? 15?

Oh no. ONE. I had ONE student. haha! I thought yesterday?s class was small with four, but today went to a whooooooole new level. Here?s why: I am teaching in a small town where students actually get excused from school to go HUNTING. Yes, you read that correctly. They can miss 1 ? 2 weeks to go hunting with their family.

??!?!!?

I had never, ever heard of anything like this before, and SO many students participate in this!! It?s so bizarre! I also saw a tractor in the parking lot last week, just for the record.

Also, there was some sort of awards assembly this morning that the students could attend if they chose, which, obviously they did. Any excuse to miss class, right? After the assembly ended my AT rounded up two more students to bring my class total to a whopping THREE. It was hilarious. We ended up playing some word games and working on a creative writing piece. I love this job.

Anyway, that was my week!! Monday is my last day of ?teaching?, and then I get to roam the school and observe any class I please!! I?m thinking I?m going to duck my head into some French classes, history, civics, career studies, essential level English and hopefully some Spec Ed. I?ll let you know how it goes!!

Oh, and thank you SO much for all your words of encouragement this week? they really helped me get past my nerves those first few days!!

Shop Girl*

English Teacher Shop Girl*

Well, I survived!! Today was my very first day teaching high school and it went really well!! But that?s getting ahead of myself. Let?s go back a bit?

I am currently completing one of my practicums and am on placement for 3 weeks. I?ve spent the last week observing classes in a local high school and it has been great. My associate teacher thinks outside the box and doesn?t want to create a ?mini-me? version of himself and has let me observe a variety of classes with other teachers?which is pretty unusual for this placement.

So, I?ve been taking notes and making all kinds of lovely doodles in my little observation binder (mostly to distract myself from the fact that I was to start teaching today). Last week flew by. Seriously. I don?t even know where it went. If you find it, let me know. haha! And before I knew it it was Friday afternoon and I was reviewing my lesson plans with my associate teacher and preparing to teach? today.

I spent the weekend attempting to be as utterly prepared as possible. I knew the best way to calm my nerves was to have everything planned out and to have contingency plans for my contingency places in case something didn?t work out. By last night I had everything in order buttt I still had a mini-freak out. haha! My poor Hubs? he has to put up with all my crap and he is so good about it. He just holds me and tells me that I?ll be great.

When I woke up this morning I was so nervous I couldn?t even finish my yogurt (so I switched to Rice Krispie Squares which worked much better to calm my nerves. haha!!). I went through my plans over and over in my head so that I?d have everything memorized and organized. After a big hug from the Hubster I was out the door and on my way.

I taught second period today (grade 10 applied English) and sitting through first period was nothing short of agony. However, when the bell rang I somehow managed to appear calm and get my things together and start the class. And then the funniest thing happened? the moment I started teaching, all my nerves absolutely disappeared. Gone. I have never felt so at home during a ?presentation?. I forgot where I was and what I was doing and just completely engaged in it. The time flew by! The class was over before I knew it.

I was pretty nervous to receive my evaluation from my associate teacher as I think he expected me to have some major screw up as most teachers do their first time out. Instead he walked up to me with a huge smile on his face and told me that my lesson was terrific and that he was really really impressed. He was absolutely incredulous that I hadn?t ever had experience teaching a full class before which made me feel reeeeeeally good. YAY!

I?m much more excited for tomorrow? I?ll let you know how it goes!!!!

Shop Girl*

He Finally Believes He's Married*

**New exercise post!!!

This should really be a post somewhere in Our Story* but I couldn't wait to write it. So you're getting a post a little out of sequence... but I don't think you'll mind. haha!!

Now you may be wondering--what the heck does she mean by that title??

Let me enlighten you... the Hubster and I have been married for just over three years. Three years, two months and fourteen days, to be exact. I could also break it down into weeks, days and hours for you, but the gist of it is that we've been married for a while now. Right? Right. Well, it's taken the Hubster three years, two months and fourteen days to believe he's married. haha!

Almost immediately after we got married the Hubster looked at me with a big goofy grin on his face and said, "I can't believe I'm married." I thought it was adorable. This was no "Ugggggh... I can't believe I'm freaking married...", it was more of a "Wow.. I. am. married." After all, it was a huuuuuge change in both our lives--all of a sudden we were living together, I had a new last name and he had a new person in his life that liked to be with him all the time. haha! It was absolutely understandable that it would take a bit to sink in, right?

This continued over the first few weeks after we got married... and I could never tell what triggered it. He could be looking at a jar of peanut butter, doing his crazy dance or watching TV, then he'd turn to me and say, "I can't believe I'm married!". I always smiled and laughed, thinking it would sink in for him by Christmas, our first one together.

Well, Christmas was peppered with goofy grins and "I can't believe I'm married!"'s. So I thought, maybe he'll believe he's married when we celebrate our first anniversary. After all, a year is plenty long enough to believe that you're married, right?

Wrong. For the past three years the Hubster has often looked at me with a thoughtful smile on his face and out of nowhere said,

"I can't believe I'm married!"

It quickly became a running joke with his family as he often said it when we were visiting his parents. After hearing it a few times his mother would give him a loving smack and make a joke about it. Now, you might be thinking, "What's the big deal? So he says it every once in a while... big whoop."

Oh no, my friends. If I had a dollar for each time I've heard this statement I'd be a very rich woman with lots and lots of beautiful shoes. haha! For a while this was being said nearly every day and was triggered by the most random things! It was almost perplexing for me--was there something I was supposed to be doing to make him believe he was married? I mean, it sunk in that I was married about 3 minutes after being married. haha! So what was up with the Hubster?!! I'm not sure we'll ever know...

And then one day, it just stopped... he just didn't say it. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. I actually didn't notice it until a few days had gone by and I realized that those words were missing from his daily vocabulary. It took 3 years, but I think that my husband FINALLY believes he's married...

...or at least I did until it popped out over dinner last night. haha!!

Shop Girl*

The Hubster & Me*

How did we meet? I knew his best friend first? and one night, the Hubs was there with him and the minute I saw him I couldn?t take my eyes off him. Too Kool introduced us, and after a few weeks of chasing him down he finally asked me out? but you already know all about that! haha

Where did you go on your first date? To Swiss Chalet. He knew that I didn?t really like red meat, so he took me somewhere that had plenty of white meat options. How cute is he? Afterwards we went to a dance, and then watched a movie at my house. It was fabulous.

How long have you been together? We?ve been married for just over 3, but it?ll be 4 years together in January. Man, that went so fast?

Who said I love you first? He did.. about 2 weeks after our first date. haha! I said it right back though, I knew pretty much the first time I saw him that he was it for me!

Who is taller? Definately the Hubster. I?m a little bit vertically challenged.

Who sings better? Um, he?d probably say that I do. I?ve been singing since I was little so I kind of had an advantage there. Although, he does sing me glorious songs quite often? he writes better ones than I do. haha!

Who does the laundry? We tag team this one? I usually sort it, and then he?ll come down with me to help me get it started (I usually leave it and do like 100 loads a time haha) and then he or I will switch it and fold it.

Who does the dishes? Probably the Hubster? I do most of the cooking, so he is really great to help me out with the dishes.

Who sleeps on the right side of the bed? That would be me! I don?t know why? it?s just my spot. I heart it.

Who pays the bills? The Hubs is my bill-man.

Who mows the lawn? We don?t have one? but we?d both probably do this. I don?t mind out-doorsy stuff!

Who cooks dinner? I usually do, but the Hubs has really been taking over this department since I started TC! He?s a wonderful cook.

Who drives when you are together? We don?t own a car at present (SOON THOUGH!!) but in the past the Hubs usually did / does.

Who is more stubborn? I don?t know? maybe me, maybe him. Maybe we?re even? I don?t think this is really an issue for us though.

Who kissed who first? He kissed me? and I kissed back. haha

Who is more sensitive? Probably me? sometimes I just need a good cry. *sigh* haha

Who proposed? He did! (and I said yes, in case you didn?t know..)

Who has more siblings? Moi? me and my big tribe?3 brothers and 2 sisters.

Who wears the pants? We are both wearing pants? although I wish mine were jammies. (I HATE this statement? we love each other and do things together though.)

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