ChristMAS

As Dad and I began the De-Christmazation of the house today, this thought came into my mind... Christmas. ChristMAS. Christ/Mas. 2 words...

Christ... obviously the first part of the world "Christmas" is easy to comprehend. It's the second that is more difficult.

...mas. A tad bit trickier. According to dictionary.com mas means "music played for a carnival, or a band playing this". Well that makes TOTAL sense... not. Then I got to thinking of what else "mas" means. In Spanish it means "more".

That started making sense. Christ more. More Christ. Obviously Christmas should be oriented around Christ, but MORE than Christmas should be centered around Him. MORE Christ!

Each day should be centered and lived for God, Christ should be in more than just Christmas, he should be in every single day we live!

Christ MORE!

Thanks To...

While up in Iowa I found it funny while looking at my aunts and uncle how I could pick ourcasticness and attitude definitely mimics Aunt Amy! And we don't like to be told what t just wait traits I got from who. And although technically they didn't give me the traits, I know it came from that half of the family!!

Aunt Amy -- My sato do... like sitting at the kitchen table... we are just FINE sitting on the stool right next to the table! I was laughing to myself, because I can totally see myself in that aspect of my aunt.

Aunt Becky -- We are both very creative! What my mom considers "Crafty Crap" we both enjoy. We love making gifts/things for other people, and enjoy being crafty and creative when we get the chance.

Uncle Doug -- This one was kind of harder. Kole thought that we were both "loners"... WRONG! We both enjoy being outside and being a kid. I think that was the similarity I finally came to, we both love to be a kid! Whether it is sledding or giving airplane rides or whatever, we share that aspect!

My mom and I are both VERY stubborn. EXTREMELY stubborn. Playing a new game entitled "5 Seconds" definitely determined that.

I think it is funny how we can look at different members of our family and figure out what traits we get from each side of our family. Definitely was for me!

Ho Ho Ho from FEET of Snow!

Greetings from Postville, Iowa!

We left the 80 degree Houston at 3 AM Wednesday morning, and by 9:40 PM we were pulling into feet of snow and 28 degree weather into Grandma and Grandpa's house.

Thursday morning was spent at Grandma and Grandpa Suddendorf's, just catching up and enjoying time together. Grandpa was beat not once, but TWICE by his grandkids in Hand and Foot, which just made the card games that much more entertaining. Amy, Dan, Leah, and Becky showed up to Postville that afternoon, so time was spent together laughing and loving the times together. Kole and Leah went "exploring" in the feet of snow in grandma's backyard while Dad was the "Cabana Boy" making plenty of margaritas for everybody else. That night we played a game called "Spit It Out" which provided laughs that turned to tears and memories which we will never forget.

Today is CHRISTMAS EVE! This morning I was woken up to the pitter-patter of 4 year old feet, and the noise of a 14 year old who doesn't realize that 7:30 AM doesn't mean that everybody should be up... Hmmm... This morning Dan, Leah, Kole and I went sledding at Uncle Doug's. Unlike 2 years ago, the snow was a lot of fun this morning! Warm clothes and layers definitely make a difference! After one particular run, we were getting driven back up to the top of the hill when what do we see? One red mini van stuck in a snow bank... Congrats Dad! *lots of time later* PHEW! Unstuck! *30 seconds later* Congrats Dad! You're stuck in a snowbank again! Haha... Amy decided to drive some of us back home to shower and get ready for Christmas Eve Supper... Congrats Amy! You got stuck in a snow bank too! Thanks Aunt Becky for finally getting us back to grandma's!

Christmas Eve dinner went off without a hitch. Although not all of the family could make it for supper due to bad weather, the time spent together with the Great Aunt's and Great Uncle's and Great Grandma was definitely enjoyable, as time with them is rare.

We are getting ready to go up to Grandma and Grandpa Suddendorf's for our Christmas, and then Christmas Eve Church Service at the church where I was baptized.

And tomorrow is Christmas! It seems so much more magical with a 4 year old in the hosue with the whole "Santa" thing and all, but we remember the real reason for the holiday... Happy *early* Birthday Jesus!!

I'm Ready

Although it still doesn't feel like Christmas (I mean... it's 80 degrees here in Houston, and as I type this I'm sitting in shorts and a t-shirt with the fan on "high"), I know that this time tomorrow plus a few hours it will! The bags are packed tight, the electronics are in the process of being shut off and carefully stored, and I have 5 books awaiting me in my "carry on" luggage for the long carride to IOWA tomorrow!

As much as I am dreading the snow and cold temperatures, I do know it will kick start my "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas" thoughts! I'm also not too thrilled about the idea of sledding, as I still have horror visions of the last time go through my head, but I know I will give it a shot because I want to be able to enjoy that time with my cousin, Leah. And, I mean, when will I get this chance again to go sledding in FEET of snow? I better embrace it with the best possible outlook!

The time will go by fast I'm sure (once we get up there) between the Overland Christmas, the Zieman Christmas, and the Suddendorf Christmas, but I cannot wait to be able to make these memories with my family, and most importantly with Leah. If you remember my blog post about this time last year (if you don't remember....), I am thoroughly uber excited to be able to spend Christmas this year up north with everybody. Even if we won't all be together on Christmas Day, the fact that I will get to see my entire Mom's side of the family makes me really thankful. Times where everybody will be together are going to become rare, and so I'm looking forward to embracing every second of this chance.

In less than 5 hours we will be on the road. In 24 or so, we will be in Iowa. Bring it on White Christmas... Bring. It. On!

:)

Misison of Yahweh & Cho-Yeh Christmas

Yesterday was a perfect day! I cannot imagine a better way to start off my first *official* day of Christmas Break!

My alarm went off at 7:00, and instead of hitting snooze a bazillion times like normal, I woke up full of energy--ready to get the day started!

My church went down to the Mission of Yahweh to, essentially, play with kids. The Mission of Yahweh is a shelter for homeless women and children, mostly who have come from abusive situations. Yesterday, families from the community were lined up for hours to get into Sister Gay's house (the lady who founded the Mission). Families received some chicken, canned goods, apples, and then a wrapped toy for each of their children. While the parents were in line, the children were sent to us. Our job: to play. I spent most of my time face painting, and holding this one dear little girl, Marlen. She did not speak English, and was probably 2 years old. When I picked her up, it was like she had never been held before. With my minute remembrance of Spanish I was able to figure out her name, and tell her "Jesus te ama" (Jesus loves you). I held her for over an hour, just holding her close. When her mother came and picked her up, I was so sad to see her go. We saw over 500 kids that day, and it simply broke my heart.

After the Mission of Yahweh I came home to get ready for the CHO-YEH CHRISTMAS PARTY!!! To say I was excited would be an understatement. It was "tacky" themed, and so a trip to my mother's closet solved that issue. I wore mis-matched Christmas socks, jeans, a lime green long-sleeve t-shirt, a red sweater vest with different colored patches on it that was Christmasy. Then I had 3 headbands that I attached together. I was STYLING!

About 4:00 I headed out to Livingston. The party was at the camp director's house, and so about 5:30 or so I roll on in. It was so good to see everybody, and the immense amount of hugs and greetings was amazing. It was like a huge family reunion! After the mingling, we watched the Staff Video from this summer, AMAZING! It brought back so many memories, and made my excitement for Summer '11 grow even more... Yeah, I didn't think that was possible either. After the video, we had some awesome Praise and Worship. Then Garret had a devotional, and then more talking and hugging and "I love yous". Around 10:00 we left Garret's and headed to Cho where we would be staying that night. We were greeted with a "Welcome Home" sign (they know us too well!). Carley, Libby, Jessica, Allie and I (Carley and Libby were on WC this summer too, just previous sessions) set up our bunks and dropped off our stuff and changed from our tackiness to warmer clothes. About 10:45 we met up with about 15 other Cho-Yehers at the Saturday night Livingston hot spot, Walmart, and sang Christmas carols in front of the store. Oh the people who are out at Walmart at 11:00 in Livingston! By about midnight we were back at camp, and a couple of us decided to hang out in the cabin, and get some sleep.

This morning, Carley and I were up and packed up and out of the cabin by 7:30. We took a drive around camp, savoring the last few minutes of being "Chome" (cho-home). We then said goodbye and departed camp... until MidWinter Madness in February!

The weekend was phenomenal. I am so blessed to have this Cho-family that I do, and the opportunity to spend 10 weeks there next summer. :)



Mission of Yahweh!



Mission of Yahweh!



WC 2010! Carley, Libby, Kristen, Cassie, and myself



The girl who everybody would interchangeably use our names! CLARE!



Yep, that's the Saturday night Hangout!



Christmas Caroling at WALMART!



My Home this past summer... the AFRAME!!



Carley and I after driving around camp, just before leaving our CHOME!

I Love Being a Senior :)

This is my schedule for the week... Get ready to laugh!

Tuesday
1st period - movie
2/3 period - RST... aka free day
4th period - Cards/Sleep
5th period - Movie?
Go home at 12:40

Wednesday
Go to school at 9:40
2nd period - nothing
4th period - sleep
5th period - movie?
Swim Final... aka show up and get a 100

Thursday
Ready Set Teach Final - aka simple
Go home at 9:40

Friday
No school :)

I love being a senior :)

Teacher/Student

Every since being in RST I look at being a student differently. I find myself trying to cut teachers a break (when they deserve it) and being more appreciative of what they do, as I now know all the little things that go behind just one day's worth of teaching.

I was given this poem called "A Teacher's Prayer". I then found the "A Student's Prayer" to contrast it with. I loved what I found :)

A Teachers Prayer

Lord, let me be just what they need.
If they need someone to trust, let me be trustworthy.
If they need sympathy, let me sympathize.
If they need love, (and they do need love), let me love, in full measure.
Let me not anger easily, Lord but let me be just.
Permit my justice to be tempered in your mercy.
When I stand before them, Lord, let me look strong and good and honest and loving.
And let me be as strong and good and honest and loving as I look to them.
Help me to counsel the anxious, crack the covering of the shy, temper the
rambunctious with a gentle attitude.
Permit me to teach only the truth.
Help me to inspire them so that learning will not cease at the classroom door.
Let the lessons they learn make their lives fruitful and happy.
And, Lord, let me bring them to You.
Teach them through me to love You.
Finally, permit me to learn the lessons they teach.

A Student's Prayer
God of Light and Truth,
thank you for giving me
a mind that can know
and a heart that can love.
Help me to keep learning every day of my life,
for all knowledge leads to you.
Let me be aware of your presence
in all things and at all times.
Encourage me when work is difficult
and when I am tempted to give up;
encourage me when my brain seems slow
and the way forward is difficult.
Grant me the grace to put my mind to use
exploring the world you have created,
confident that in you there a wisdom
that is real.
Amen.

Then I stumbled across A Graduate's Prayer. WOW! Can't believe this will be me in a few months!

A Graduate's Poem
Father, I have knowledge,
so I pray you'll show me now
How to use it wisely
and find a way somehow
To make the world I live in
a little better place,
And make life, with its problems,
a bit easier to face...
Grant me faith and courage
and put purpose in my days,
And show me how to serve Thee
in the most effective ways
So all my education,
my knowledge and my skill,
May find their true fulfillment
as I learn to do Thy will...
And may I ever be aware
in everything I do
That knowledge comes from learning -
And wisdom comes from You.

The Verge of Tears

You know when it just takes ONE itsy bitsy little thing to throw your entire night into a wack? Yeah..

I've been extremely stressed out lately with school. I am caught in the mix between the "I'm accepted into A&M, I can settle for B's and be okay" type of thinking and the "I hate B's. I can make an A if I really try and don't give up these last few weeks" kind of thinking. Senioritis is DEFINITELY kicking in!!

So for anatomy we were given this assignment to build a life-size skeleton. Yes, we tried to create a dwarf-size skeleton and classify it as life-size (because it really is) but that didn't fly. So after 9 hours over 3 days, going through a container of cookies, a bag of chips, and a box of Cheeze-It's, our skeleton was 5'6". Created out of pipe-cleaners, cotton balls, newspaper, masking tape, fishing bobbers, paper plates, cardboard (made out of a Cheeze-It box), and tissue paper, FINALLY it was done. All I had left to do when my group left was look up and label some regions for bonus, and attach the head to a hanger so that the skeleton could hang.

Well, once my group left I ate a quick dinner than headed off to work. Work wasn't too shabby, actually semi-enjoyable (with the added bonus of an early Christmas present from one of my swimmers). When I got home I took a hot shower, made some more dinner, and then went up to begin the hours of homework. Hours. Well, I got all of the skeleton bonus parts added when my phone rang. LINDSEY! My co from camp. I forgot she had texted me asking if we could talk tonight. So, we talked for about 20 minutes which was very enjoyable, and later proved to be the motivation I needed to get through the night that was waiting for me. When I got off the phone to go help Kole, I realized that I had not unplugged the hot glue gun, and it had dripped out onto a piece of plastic tape so now our office smelled like burning plastic. YUCK. Spent an hour helping Kole with his math homework that he had all weekend to do... At 10:00 we finally finish that. I was falling asleep trying to help him (partly b/c I was frustrated that he had the assignment for 4 days and was just now asking me to help him with it when I had my own stuff to be doing). I went and got some gatorade (that's my equivalent to coffee when lemonade isn't around) in an attempt to wake up a little bit.

Task 1: Attach the skeleton to a clothes hanger to allow it to be hung up. Hot glue and tissue paper don't mix. Skeleton head that we spent 45 minutes on? Yeah... ruined. Must redo the back quarter to make it look reasonable. Takes forever. Give up on the hook and decide that it will just have to be held.

Task 2: Upload a video, a document, and a picture to this Glogster thing. (Such a dumb program. NEVER use it if given the option. I'd choose Wiki over Glogster. And I detest wiki's!). Well... the video we have to upload was recorded during a class discussion and was uploaded via the Technology Dept in Quicktime format. Well... Glogster doesn't accept Quicktime, and there is no way to resave the video in another format. Forget the video. E-mail my teacher asking for guidance (realizing she has never used glogster before... sure she will be a lot of help), and get the other info uploaded. Video.. not uploaded.

Task 3: Calculus. It's 11:00 by the time I get to start calculus. I've been up since 4:50 AM and I'm exhausted. I've been going non-stop 18 hours, and felt like I already did an hour's worth of math for Kole. I figure out a couple things, realize I can't figure out the rest, have no desire to learn the rest, and even with a 0 on the test, I will still have a B for semester. With a 100 on the test... I'll still have a B for semester. WHY AM I STRESSING? Figure out enough to survive the Multiple Choice Test, then think I'm done for the night.

Task 4: Take the skeleton down stairs so that it will not be forgotten at home tomorrow so that we can *hopefully* get bonus points for turning it in early. End up tripping over one of the skeleton's phalanges (toes). UGH!

Task 5: Re-Hot Glue the Toe on. Re take it downstairs. CAREFULLY! The tears start coming. I'm past the point of exhaustion, and nothing I do is going to be productive anymore.

It's 11:40 by this point. I go to check my phone to find 2 text messages, both from camp people. One was an encouragement Bible Verse, John 14:1, from Lindsey (who I had talked to earlier) and provided the sigh of relief that I needed.

Task 6: Clean up office a little bit and make sure I have everything ready for school tomorrow.

Task 7: Relax and take a breather for a few minutes before turning off the lights for a nice, peaceful, dream-filled 5 hours of sleep!

Thank goodness tomorrow is Wednesday!!

Happiness

The past week has not been a highlight for me. As Megan would say, it was a bunch of "thorn" days. Today... definitely a "rose" day.

Slept till 6:30, woke up, ran downstairs to find hot chocolate waiting for me. AND my truck already had the heater on and was warm :) Successful morning.

"Can we come back to big people's school with you?" --My Kindergarten Class

30+ New Members at TAFE meeting (Texas Association of Future Educators)

"Interview" with Cho-Yeh went well...

Counselor for practically all of Summer 2011!!!

Now off to Bible Study.

Definitely a "Rose" kinda day :)

The Reason to My Madness

So, most of you realized that you couldn't access my blog. And you are right, I had temporarily blocked it so that nobody could read it. My family couldn't, my friends couldn't, nobody couldn't. Multiple times people had commented negatively on something that I had blogged about, and enough was enough. I don't blog to make people happy. If you find happiness in reading my blogs well then good for you. But that isn't the point behind this. I don't appreciate when people take my stress-reliever methods and judge them. Do you? If you, for instance, swim or run or whatever to relieve stress, do you appreciate people telling you that you aren't going fast enough? That you aren't doing enough mileage? No, you don't. The same goes for me, blogging is a stress reliever for me that as you all found out, doesn't have to be publicized. So don't judge what I say! PLEASE!

The blog is, as you know, back online. I had a friend from camp comment about how she found hope through my status' on facebook, and would have loved to read my blog if she knew I had one. I realized that I rely on the same things too. I love it when somebody puts up a positive facebook status that snaps my perspective back on what really matters. So, I feel very hypocritical by taking that opportunity away from other people who get the same thing out of my random thoughts.

So my blog is back. Read it if you want, ignore it if you want, I don't care. Just don't judge what I have to say. If something that I say makes your day better, well then that's awesome. I'm happy that it does. Feel free to tell me that, just please don't criticize my thoughts or tell me that I'm wrong. If we are openly having a conversation that's one thing. But this blog is for me, and for my thoughts. Not anybody elses negative remarks about my thoughts.

Thanks guys. Sorry for the ranting, but after multiple situations I had to address this. Now I'm off my soap box. Welcome back to my blog :)

The Reason I Blog

I'll come flat out and say it. I don't blog for you. I don't blog for my friends who read this, and I don't blog for my family that reads this. That isn't why I created this blog almost a year ago. And if you don't believe me, then you go back to blog post number 1. I blog for ME. Not so that you can pick apart the words that are formed into thoughts flying around my head. Not so that you can judge what I say. Most of the time what I blog, I don't say in real life. I blog for me. So for all of you crazies out there who think that I blog so that you can get a daily laugh out of my life, you're wrong.

This blog was intended for me. I had told one of my friends about it at the time because I knew she could relate to me in almost every topic, and I knew she wouldn't question my thoughts. I didn't tell anybody else for a reason. I didn't want to have to be conservative about what I blogged about knowing that people would read it and wouldn't approve of my thoughts. Therefore, I'm done. This blog is for me, and now only for me. Nobody else is getting a key into my thoughts anymore.

I should have known...

It all started at 1:57 AM...

I hear an alarm go off, so I get up, go to the bathroom, put on work out shorts and put in my contacts. Lazily run a brush through my hair, brush my teeth. Then wander back into my room to grab my phone and my iPod and find my pink flip flops (since I remember the outfit I picked out the night before had a cute pink top). I grab my backpack then as I glance back at my room while turning out the lights I notice my alarm clock. It's 2:10. AM.

The alarm going off was in my dream. Wow. By 2:15 I'm back asleep.

4:50 the alarm goes off. Snooze. Snooze. Snooze. Heck, I fell asleep with my contacts in after getting dressed, all I have to do is roll out of bed. Literally. By 5:30 I'm out the door. 5:45 I'm starting on my 2.5 mile run for swim practice. Wow. I haven't ran in weeks. My back was throbbing the entire time and still is tight now. That was horrible.

9:10 While heading to the attendance office I get stopped 3 times asking why I'm in the hallway when CLEARLY I have a pass. Annoying!

9:15 I finally check out at the attendance office to head to the ortho. I'm the only one in the ortho office. There is only one lady working. CREEPY! She takes an impression of my bottom teeth (yes the stuff that hardens to make a mold) and then gets distracted. Whoops! She left it on too long. "The gunk left might not come out for 24 hours or so" she says I get ready to leave. Um. That's not gonna work for me.

10 minutes of brushing my teeth and I finally leave.

Hmm... Jack n' the Box is on the way to school. Yum! Did you know that they do have ice-cream ready at 10:20 AM? YUM!

10:30 back at Falls. Hide milkshake in backpack to sneak it past the attendance office and 4 other AP's that try to stop me for being in the halls. What, is today "Massive Hallways Guarding Duty" or something? Luckily, that didn't turn into a cold disaster.

Calculus. Oh yay. Test tomorrow. Hallmark didn't give a review in class because he didn't feel good. AWESOME! Only 3 problems on the test. Oh great. Miss one and your fail! Awesome.

Anatomy. Didn't do anything. Well, took notes, but whatevers.

English. Ha. Timed Writing about something TOTALLY irrelevant to the book we are reading, but yet we have to connect it. Our entire class is just laughing through the entire timed write because we all know it's not gonna turn out pretty. Hmph.

JV Swimming. Get out of class to go to Walmart with Mina. Buy 200$ worth of gift cards (we had been collecting $) for a teacher who's house burnt down. Pay the guy who doesn't speak English with a bunch of 1$ bills because that's all we have because that is what people were donating. Ha ha. Then run into Coach Jon. AWKWARD!

Finally get home. Have a massive headache, and realize I have not ate any real food for 24 hours. Had half a slice of pizza and a cinnamon stick for dinner last night at church. Had 2 mini muffins for breakfast. Had a milkshake for lunch. Hmm... so I begin to eat Peanut Butter out of the jar. Yum!

Study. Study. Study.

My head hurts. What's for dinner?

Oh pancakes when everybody gets home.

Mom gets home and asks how my day was. I tell her.

Dad gets home, asks how my day was. Mom goes "Please don't ask. And if you do, go to another room. I don't wanna hear her tell it again". Wow. Thanks Mom! Hmph.

Learn how to jump my dad's car in the rain. I have 23094820394 other things to do!!!

Dinner. 2 Pancakes. Umm.... I'm hungry!

Now, back to studying calculus. And I need to find 5 articles and rewrite a thesis for English. ALL I WANT TO DO IS BANG MY HEAD AGAINST A WALL!!!

I need Thanksgiving NOW. Not tomorrow at 2:30. NOW!!!!

SO GOOD!!

My first real lesson went... AMAZING!!

The kids were SO unbelievably and incredlibly excited. It was like they had never seen Beanie Babies before! They paid such good attention during the story because they knew they had to in order to play the "game" at the end of the book. They all wrote beautifully (well... for kindergarteners that is) and they are so excited for their book tomorrow!

I guess "when you grow up in a kindergartener's world"... :)

First Ready Set Teach Lesson!!

Tomorrow is the day!

Coming with me to the elementary...

• 2 Hula Hoops
  
• 2 Labelers
  
• 25 Beanie Babies
  
• 25 pieces of paper shaped like a barn
  
• What If? by A.H. Benjamin and Jane Chapman
  

I'm so excited!!

First off we are reading the book What If?. Then each child will get a Beanie Baby. They will have to sort their Beanie Baby into a hula hoop, either "Animal is in the book" or "Animal is not in the book". Once all the animals are sorted, the children will then get a piece of paper in the shape of a barn and write a story about their animal. All the writing will eventually get made into a classroom story!

It's pretty simple, but I'm really excited :)

Update TOMORROW!

Chovember Fest!

I know, I know. I talked NONSTOP about Chovember to my friends and family for the weeks leading up to last Sunday. And now, a week later, I have yet to blog about the marvelous festivities of Chovember Fest.

IT WAS AMAZING!

Then again, what is involved with Cho-Yeh and isn't amazing?

We all got to Grace Presbyterian around noon for set up. Camp had brought the gaga pit (if you don't know the miraculous of gagaball... check out this youtube video) the dunk tape, the pile wall, all the inflatables, etc.

Once everything was set up, campers would go around the the games and would play the games in return for a bean. Once they got 10 beans (which took an all of probably 15 minutes), they got to choose a counselor to "send to the pie wall!". I ended up getting pied by 2 different campers (one who was never even my camper, I just know from Team YES). Getting pied isn't too bad at camp, when you aren't wearing makeup, where your hair is already gross and sweaty and disgusting, when you are wearing nasty clothes, when there is a water cow to dump on your face... but when all you have is a towel to get rid of the whipped cream... oh it's nasty.

It was really good just to be in that camp atmosphere again. To be with people who you hadn't seen in 4 months and be able to pick up on the relationships right where they left off. It was so awesome. I can't wait till Midwinter Madness. And this summer :)

As I said when I was leaving, Cho-Yeh will always be my 2nd home and family :)

CRAZY week!!

Sheesh, this week has been crazy! BUT this weekend is going to be awesome!

This afternoon I'm working on all my homework (which luckily is basically just reading and planning a lesson) and probably going to Kole's baseball tournament.

BUT the best part of this weekend is going to be tomorrow... CHO-YEH'S CHOVEMBER FEST!

As the entire world knows, Cho-Yeh is my favorite place on Earth, and the people there are fantastic. Cho-vember fest is essentially a "family reunion" where we are setting up games and the campers get to come and hang out with their camp-friends and counselors. I saw some Cho-Yeh staff people last Month up at A&M, but I'm looking forward to seeing a bunch of my friends and people I worked with this summer again. I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Another Essay...

I love essays where I can just be myself and blog...

“Teaching is the profession that teaches all other professions” (author unknown). I found this saying a few years ago while fulfilling my uncanny passion for quotes. At that point, I had no idea what I wanted to do once I graduated high school. Now diving further into my senior year, it is that very same quote that inspires me to pursue a career in education.

As my senior year continues to keep rolling along (although sometimes very slowly), I am extremely excited for the future that lies ahead of me. Four years at a university that I have fallen in love with. A career inspiring students and encouraging them to be their absolute best at all times. Passion filled years spent teaching the generations to come. All of that makes up what is contained in my future plans.

I will be attending Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas and will be majoring in Elementary Education. I will learn how to become the most effective and the best possible teacher that I can be. Spending time in the classroom, as well as in college classes will consume a majority of those four years. At A&M I will also be a member of the Women’s Water Polo team, where I will continue to develop the team and leadership skills required to be an excellent teacher. I will graduate as the loudest and proudest member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of 2015 with a degree in Elementary Education. From there I will begin my career.
I want to teach kindergarten in a school where I will have the opportunity to make a child’s first encounter with education a positive one. It is in kindergarten where a child either falls in love with learning, or “falls through the cracks” as children’s book author Carolyn Sollman puts it in her book Through the Cracks. I will be that teacher whose students leave kindergarten and move onto first grade having a passion for learning, those students who will then be the next President, the ones to find the cure for AIDS, the ones to end World Hunger and bring about World Peace. The students who will know that they can do and become anything that they set their minds to. I will be that teacher who graduating seniors looking back on their past thirteen years of schooling will think about and say “it was that kindergarten teacher who started it all”. I will be that teacher.

When thinking about careers, there are easily thousands to choose from. My peers will choose to become a lawyer, an engineer, a doctor, a sports medicine trainer or a business man or woman. Some will choose to go into the armed forces and serve our country. One or two may decide to run for a future presidential election. Those thousands of possible careers are all so different, but share a common thread. Every person in those careers has at once had an education. “Teaching is the profession that teaches all professions” (author unknown) and I firmly believe in that. Without teachers, none of these other careers would be remotely possible. Therefore, I will be the teacher to educate the future generations, so that they can follow in my peers’ footsteps to become the next greatest lawyers, engineers, and doctors. Teaching is my passion and holds the key to my future and my dreams.

It must be a Kylie thing

I have found my mini-me. Her name is Kylie as well. But that isn't the only thing we have in common....

We are both involved in Team YES!
We both prefer IM over freestyle and constantly ask if we can do IM instead.
We both love to talk.
We both (and only us) come to practice on our birthdays.
We both wear lime green caps.

I know there is more, but I'm tired.

Oh! A quote from coach Kris... "I finally almost get rid of you by sending you off to college, only to get another you in 9 year old form!"

Busy Weekend??

Well... there's just kinda a busy weekend ahead...

FRIDAY:
I came home from school.
I snuggled with my puppy while half napping/half watching NCIS
I went on a mini winter shopping spree at Old Navy. Felt nice to get something new.
I was at the pool from 5:15-7:50 teaching swim lessons.
I got gas so that Daddy could steal my truck tomorrow and make it to Bear Creek without having to get gas at 6 in the morning.
Came home and ate pizza.
Next on the agenda? SLEEP!

SATURDAY:
Donuts and Diapers tomorrow at 8. In the morning.
Kole's baseball tourney right after.
Supporting the JV team after that.
Scholarships?

SUNDAY:
Sunday School.
Church.
Kole's baseball tourney.
Homework?
MUST finish my RST bulletin board.
Trick or Treat at Kelly's with Renee. (Just so that we can say "hi" to the best youth director ever)
Party at Renee's? Maybe?

It's gonna be crazy. But hey, crazy is the best kind of weekend :)

This Is Me

So every morning as we are walking into our elementary, they play music over the announcement/PA system thing. Almost every time we hear this song, it's from a Disney movie called Camp Rock (no, I haven't seen the movie), and the lyrics are actually really good! For a kindergartener... or a senior in high school!!

This is Me

"I've always been the kind of girl
That hid my face
So afraid to tell the world
What I've got to say
But I have this dream
Right inside of me
I'm gonna let it show, it's time
To let you know
To let you know

This is real, this is me
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now
Gonna let the light, shine on me
Now I've found, who I am
There's no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be
This is me

Do you know what it's like
To feel so in the dark
To dream about a life
Where you're the shining star
Even though it seems
Like it's too far away
I have to believe in myself
It's the only way

This is real, This is me
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now
Gonna let the light, shine on me
Now I've found, who I am
There's no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be
This is me

You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
I need to find you, I gotta find you
You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me
I need to find you, I gotta find you

This is real, this is me
I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be, now
Gonna let the light, shine on me
Now I've found, who I am
There's no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be
This is me
You're the missing piece I need
The song inside of me (this is me)
You're the voice I hear inside my head
The reason that I'm singing
Now I've found, who I am
There's no way to hold it in
No more hiding who I want to be
This is me"

Camp Talk at the Pool?? SAY WHA?!?!

It's 7:40, I've been at the pool about two and a half hours and SO ready to get outta there and get home. I'm saying goodbye to all of the little kids and one girl who is absolutely precious comes up to me and this is what goes down.

*Sophie notices the merits (yellow circles from camp that ended up in the bottom of my backpack after camp) hanging off my car keys*
Sophie: "Why do you have merits on your keys?"
Kylie: "Sophie! How do you know what merits are?"
Sophie: "because I went go to Camp Cho-Yeh"
Kylie: "NO WAY! I WORK THERE!"

Come to find out she goes session 5 every summer. SO, next summer I'll hopefully be at Cho-Yeh the same time she is! It totally made my night.

As I was walking out of the door this is what I was thinking...

"No wonder Sophie's adorable... she's a Cho-Yeh girl!"

Wayne Kerr!

AMAZING CONCERT!! Wayne Kerr started out by inviting all the youth up to the front so we would have more space (how did he know that we would all end up dancing and jumping and needing all that room... oh yeah.. we're teenagers). Then he played some of his fun songs, and some upbeat worship songs. Then he told us all to sit back down (as the old people couldn't jump any longer. haha), and he was going to slow it down.

This summer there was one song that would 'get me' every time it was played at camp. Which just happened to be every Friday night at closing Chogram. Now I can listen to the song for the most part and sing along perfectly fine. WELL. Wayne Kerr decided to play that song tonight and I was like WOAH. I'm pretty sure it took me maybe 30 seconds before the sea of emotions rushed over. The song originated by Hillsong United, so I have put their song below. Listen to the lyrics. They're really something.



"So what can I say, what can I do? But offer this heart o God, completely to You! So I'll stand with arms high and heart abandoned, in awe, of the One who gave it all!"

Thanks Youtube!!!

Did you know you tube has calculus tutorials on it?

IT DOES!!

Tonight I spent about 45 minutes watching various "How to: Calculus" and "Calculus made Easy" videos in a desperate attempt to grasp implicit differentiation and related rates.

Tomorrow I'll put my video-watched learning skills to the test and see how much more calculus I understand!

For now... sleep!

You have taught me...

Dear Swimming,

Thank you for all that you have given me over the past fourteen years. The lessons you have taught me are countless.

You have taught me how to manage my time. Only a swimmer knows how to spend 7 hours at the pool, 7 hours in school, and keep up with college classes.

You have taught me dedication. Swimming requires more dedication that a bystander would believe. It requires dedication to hear that alarm go off at 4:55, to only hit snooze till 5:15 before knowing you have to get out of bed, to take homework to the pool to study in between dry-land sets.

You have taught me a new definition of endurance. Physical endurance is a given in any sport. But how many sports require the mental endurance that swimming demands? The endurance to keep going when you only make the interval by a second. The endurance to keep trying, in the pool, and out.

You have taught me patience. Patience with teammates when they know every button to push, and push them anyways. Patience with coaches when "I just can't do this" doesn't register in their vocabulary. Patience that rolls over into life.

You have taught me how to be a role-model. Swim teams involve athletes of all ages, eyes are always watching and mimicking your every move. You showed me how to embrace that, and form relationships with the kids who are looking up to you.

You have taught me how to fail, and to fail with grace. Adding time is commonplace in swimming. In my world, adding time is short of perfect, and short of perfect is failing. But even after failing, you have taught me how to pull yourself out of the water and how to get ready for the next race.

You have taught me how to believe in myself. How to believe that I can do it, that I can be my best at all times.

You have taught me how to forget. When I hit that water the world fades away and nothing else matters except me and the water. Nothing. There isn't anything from the day that stands in the way of me and my love for those 2 hours and 15 minutes. Nothing.

You have taught me how to feel. There's a difference between moving water, and feeling the water move. Only you could have taught me that.

You have taught me how to laugh, and laugh at myself. When the practice seems impossible, when my teammates seem beyond frustrating, you have taught me to laugh and smile.

You have taught me confidence. That little girl you first met had none. The girl you are sending back out into the real world has plenty. You don't need to worry about that.

You have taught me how to trust. I've never been too good at that, but you have guided me along that road to trusting my coaches and my peers.

You have taught me who I am. You've made me into the fun-loving, bubbly, genuinely happy-go-lucky girl I am today. You have inspired me to be the person that I am, and to love myself for that.

But more than any of these, you have taught me how to love. To love swimming, and to know when that love is being transformed into bigger and better things. Although my love for being a swimmer is gone, my love for the sport is still strong. My love is now just in a different form, having the chance to be little kids' first inspiration to fall in love with swimming. One coach somewhere first sparked that love in me, and look at where it has taken me now. I couldn't ask for anything more, to give back to a sport that has given me so much.

Love always (and yes, I do mean always), Kylie

one.two.eight.eight.five.

12,885.

What does that number represent to you?

The amount of money you wish you had in your bank account?
Your zip code? (If you lived in NY)
The price of a new car?
The number of minutes you spend in school in a month?
The number of seconds in a Harry Potter movie?
How many pages it seems are in your new English AP textbook?
The amount of undergrads at SFA University?
Miles it takes driving from Houston to NYC nine times?

All of those are very good guesses, except that isn't what 12,885 means to me.

That is the number of hours I have (guesstimation) spent at the pool since I joined competitive swimming when I was 4.

Yes. Twelve THOUSAND eight hundred and eighty five HOURS.

From ages 4-6 I estimated I only spent an hour a week at the pool. I know that is a way low-estimate because in the summer, I spent atleast an hour a DAY at the pool.
When I was 7 I started taking private lessons, so I guesstimated the hours a week to 6. Becuase I lived at the pool when in the summer, plus swam summer league, plus started private lessons.
Ages 8-9 is when I first started club swimming. So, 7 ish hours a week? I know in the winter it wasn't that long, but summer was WAY over that amount.
10-13 (upper elementary/middle school) I was hardcore swimming club, about 2 hours a day, 4 days a week. So 8 hours a week.
Since I was 14 I averaged up to 28 hours a week at the pool between Varsity Swimming, Water Polo, Team YES, meets, tourneys, games, etc.

So... since I fell in love with the sport, I have spent 12,885 hours at the pool. That's ridiculous.

To-Do Lists

Every year in middle school we got those stupid planners that we all hated, but had to write stuff in just because the teachers wanted us to. We hated them! Even freshman, sophmore, and part of junior year I felt that I could remember everything that I had to do that night. WELL. This year... different story! My planner pretty much holds my life schedule. So... as I was trying to figure out what all I had going on this week (I'm in between studying for part A and part B of tomorrow's anatomy practical), I figured maybe the blogging world would like to know the crazy to-do list called my planner.

TUESDAY:
Varsity Prac
@ Millsap -- don't forget clothes and shoes
Finish Metamorphosis Questions for Chapters 2/3
Figure out guidelines for author abstract paper
Start studying for Friday's calc test
Study majorly for Wednesday's anatomy test
Swim practice TYES
Read chapters ?? for government out of hard copy textbook
Government definitions

WEDNESDAY
@ Millsap
Lead RFL meeting after school
Tutor @ Millsap 4-5
Kole's Cross Country Districts @ Bear Creek
Bible Study
Author abstract paper
Study for calc test
Bulletin Board File (atleast 5 done)
Captain stuff for Thursday's meet

THURSDAY
Varsity Practice
Clothes for Dress Professionally all day (get from Warwick's room or bring home)
@ Millsap
Meet v. Ranch (4:30-9?)
Study for Friday's calc test
Metamorphosis Paper on Friday (Review formatting and what to improve)
Author Abstract Paper due Friday
Bulletin Board File (finish 10)
Figure out large group/visual for RST
Apply for housing at Texas A&M

And these are only the things I know about this weekend! Luckily a lot of these I have set goal dates for myself to be done by, that way I'm not stressing out the day of (even though I probably will anyways). I didn't even include Friday's busy-ness! There honestly are not enough hours in a day to be in high school, take AP classes, get good grades, be in as many extra curriculars as we need to be in. I mean seriously... what happened to sleep!?!?

OK... brain has de-anatomy-ified. Now back to some more anatomy!!! GAH! Have a great week everybody :)

Some Funny T-shirts :)

In between watching Texas A&M's polo games up in College Station today, we did a little shopping. Here are some of my favorite t-shirts that I saw (luckily they are all online!)

We're Seniors Now!

Senior Swimmers
Class of 2011
Brian, Matt D, Matt J, Connor, Andrew
Jodie, Mina, Kylie



GOLD Team Captains



Swimming Captains

Favorite Quote of Today

Today was my first day in Kindergarten! It was so amazing :))

This was probably my favorite quote of the day from the kids,

"Miss Suddendorf, what do you do when you leave here and go back to Cy-Falls everyday?" --Teacher
"Well, I go back and then I go to math class" --Me
*Little boy raises his hand*
"Is it a hard math class? Like harder than 5+5?" --Kindergartner

Kindergarten's gonna be amazing :)

Twas the Night Before Kindergarten

Twas the night before kindergarten and as she prepared,
Kylie was excited and a little bit scared.
She stayed up doing calculus homework, dreaming of a good nights sleep in her bed,
while visions of derivatives danced in her head.
Slacks and Closed Toe Shoes and Belts galore
were in her athletic bag and set by the door.
Dress clothes were hung in closets with care,
knowing that kindergarten soon would be there.
In the morning it came, kindergarten starts later!
Would the cooperating teacher be nice? Would any children hate her?
Faces were washed, and teeth were brushed white;
The RST class posed in pictures for Mrs. Warwick with eyes sparkling bright.

2nd Period came and the class boarded the bus;
Worried and nervous, but not putting up a fuss.
Some students brought folders or their favorite lucky charm;
in hopes that the luck would help them through the day without harm.
Mrs. Warwick exclaimed: "You're teachers, WOW!
Let me lots of pictures so you'll remember this moment years from now"
Mrs. Warwick wasn't worried, her students would be fine;
they were ready for this, they had practiced a thousand of times.
So she told her class, "Everything will be okay
and when you are done, we will all chant HOORAY!"
Mrs. Warwick then let her class go with a smile,
and we all wandered to our class where we would stay for while.
The room was all filled with toys, books, and maps,
too entertaining for any mid-class naps!
The kindergarteners colored and painted and played Simon Says,
while the RST kids worked hard and wracked their heads.
They were super busy from beginning to end,
Within just a minute, we all had a new 5 year old friend.
The RST students were exuberant, they loved their class like an early morning sunrise;
It was the juniors and seniors who were in for a surprise.
When what to her wondering eyes should appear
but proud Mrs. Warwick who was holding back tears!
Her nose so sniffly! Her eyes red and wet!
This was the saddest first day Mrs. Warwick had witnessed yet!
The RST students all waved from the door of the school.
"Please don't cry Mrs. Warwick... Teaching kindergarten is cool!!"

--Adapted from Natasha Wing

Now I must actually go do that calculus homework that I mentioned line two... Off to Kindergarten in the morning!! EEEK!

Splattering Paint

Today, Renee and I were making our T-shirts for Team YES to wear when we help out at the little kid swim meets. We have found that the more stand-outness of the shirts we wear, the easier it is for the youngins to find us (especially at the 8 and under meets). Last year our t-shirts were tie-dyed, this year... paint splattered.

As I was standing out on the drive the gorgeous day splattering paint all over my black t-shirt canvas, I realized how much splattering paint is like life.

I'm sure you are just dying to hear this correlation, yeah?

My t-shirt had 8 different paints splattered onto it:
1. bright orange
2. light orange
3. blue
4. glow in the dark pink
5. regular paink
6. purple
7. yellow
8. lime green

Just like in my life, I have 8 things that are very important to me:
1. Friends
2. Family
3. Camp Cho-Yeh
4. Cornerstone
5. School
6. Swimming (and my little swimming sisters)
7. Relay for Life
8. Ready, Set, Teach

On my t-shirt, these colors all came together to make something beautiful (my t-shirt). Just like in my life, all of these things combine to make something absolutely wonderful: my crazy, busy, sometimes chaotic, slightly hectic life.

When is it Time?

When I was 3 I learned how to swim. I wasn't very good at it. I was the 6 and under that hung on the lane rope every 2 seconds. I was the 6 and under that the parents would clap for, because I had finally finished a 25 and the meet could move on. I was the 6 and under who could never manage to get all my hair in a swim cap, and always looked very dorky and out of place. I was the 6 and under who would always love to swim backstroke because it didn't involve putting my face in the water. I was THAT 6 and under. (Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about). But I was in love with the water, and nothing was going to change that.

A lot has changed in 14 years. Instead of 30 minutes a day, I have reached a maximum of 7 hours a day (only when polo and swimming were going on at the same time). Instead of 25's we now peak off around 7,000 yards a practice. Instead of the 6 and under that would have gotten lapped on a 25 if that was possible, I now compete and it's exciting (and sometimes [rarely] even lap other people). I'm now a pro at putting on swim caps (thanks, I know it's a real accomplishment), and I now think I look more natural in one than sometimes I do when I wear makeup and do my hair nice. I still love backstroke, but now it's because it's a pretty stroke, and I'm decent at it. The thing is, I'm not THAT swimmer anymore who loves swimming.

I have figure out that there's a difference between loving swimming, loving your teammates, and loving your coaches. Unfortunately, I just don't love swimming anymore. And I really wish that I could fall back in love with it, and who knows, it could happen. I don't find the excitement in practicing like I used to. I don't find technique weeks fun anymore. Honestly, sometimes I don't even love my team like I used to. All of my best friends used to be at the pool, and I'd call them my second family. Thankfully Renee and my little swimming sister Jacy are still there to keep me sane. In all truth, if it wasn't for my coaches Dennis and Kris, I would have been long gone.

Dennis and Kris know me better than anybody on the planet I can honestly say. There were points last year when they knew more about my day to day life than my parents did, simply because I saw them more. Coach Kris can read me like a book. I can have a smile on my face and be playing the act well, but he KNOWS when something is up. And the thing is, he doesn't just know something is up, he cares and he does his best to offer his "big brother" advice as I call it. And he will never let me leave if I'm not smiling. Coach Dennis is like my second dad. As proud of me as he is when I drop time, or keep up during practice, he is also proud when I tell him I got accepted into A&M, or that I aced a test. The fact is, they care for me in the water AND out. Almost all the time now, they are the reason I come to practice. Not because I have some passionate desire to swim. It's because I want to see my coaches.

How do you call it quits? How do you leave behind something that has made you who you are. How do you give up something that you have worked 14 YEARS for? This question ponders my head constantly, as I know the end is coming real near. There is a very real possibility that I'll be done in February. As done as I am with swimming, I still don't know how I will be able to give that up. I know one thing for sure. Just because I'm not swimming, doesn't mean Dennis and Kris still won't be a very big part of my life. I just can't picture it any other way.

............................................................
There. I feel better. Weird how blogging does that huh? Now off to go do that homework!!!

This Deserves It's Own Blog Post...

I GOT A 96 ON MY CALCULUS BC TEST!!

That is all :)

A good day :)

While blow-drying my hair in the locker-room an Energizer from Cho-Yeh came on my iPod, and so I did the energizer dance around the locker room :)

In government I found out I got a 100 on my Federalism Essay!! (Thank you Grandpa Zieman for ensuring that government runs in the blood :P)

Ready Set Teach was fun as normal, we go to the elementaries a week from tomorrow!

Calculus Test wasn't too hard. I wasn't for sure on 4 of the multiple choice parts (I had it narrowed down to 2 answers though) and according to what everybody else got, I guessed lucky on 4 out of the 4 questions!

Anatomy was a joke. We watched presentations all period long :)

English was easy. We took a quiz which I thought was simple, and then had time to work on whatever we needed to.

I made Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) ribbons during JV Swimming in preparation for next weeks RFL meeting.

NHS meeting after school was only 15 minutes, and I'm pretty sure this is the only one in which we didn't get yelled at for attendance... (maybe because it is only the first meeting of the year?)

KSBJ played good "driving with the windows down and the radio up" music on my way home form school.

And I have NO mandatory homework due for tomorrow!! Although I'll probably try and get ahead for the rest of the week :))

Today was DEFINITELY a good day :D