Thankful, a month early

Thing you take for granted:

1. Taking a shower whenever you want

2. Eating a whole meal in a sitting (when it's hot)

3. Talking on the phone when you feel like it

4. Wearing only one outfit a day (the one you picked out in the morning)

5. Jeans (that fit)

More to come... Having a baby makes you thankful for all the little things in life

I'm thankful for this 'little thing' especially

Motherhood

So I am offically a mom, I coo over other babies and compare them to my own, I even cried at a huggies commercial the other day (they tell you this will happen but you put it up there with craving paint chips and metal shavings). And to top it all off I told my sisters that famous mother line "When you have kids of your own, you'll understand" WOW... It just happens, like your hair growing (mine needs cut btw) you do nothing to provoke it, but BAM it happens. Life seems to be happening at a faster pace these days.

What am I getting myself into

I was lamenting to my sister just today that I seem to have little to actually blog about and then BAM! I speak with a young Italian man and I have enough to blog about to take me into the new year.
I was speaking with the Italian man to set up our reception dinner and WOW...
so you have to call him on his cell phone and you would expect that you could be treated as a business call. but don't count on it here. In the course of our conversation while discussing menu options he says to me, would you like me to conference my mother into this, (she's the cook and could give very good insite) I was impressed, then he says to me, "hold on my mom's outside, she lives accross the street" and proceeds to yell across the street to his mother about our dinner selections. Then he runs across the street and I guess almost gets hit by a car (I heard the beep of a car) Then his dog almost gets hit trying to follow him and he interupts our conversation to yell at the dog to go home. After talking to his mother and then him again we worked out the dinner selections. THEN we had to talk about the other arrangements and I mentioned that we would most likely have place cards... he actually said to me "I am physically or mentally incapable..." of putting the place cards out for us. Although he did offer his wife's services. And then he tells me he's been doing this for seven years, SEVEN YEARS! and you still haven't figured out place cards.. oh my. By the end of the conversation he is helping his brother or father or someone change a tire on his truck, like giveing instructions inbetween talking to me. I asked for an estimate of how much we were looking at and how much of a deposit he needed and he told me how to figure it out and told me to send the check like he didn't have a pen and paper or a menu so if I could take care of figureing out how much it was going to cost that would be great... WOW I wouldn't beleive it if I hadn't actually had the conversation. And yet we will be having our reception at this Italian man's resturant. Hope to see you there.

I would like to say that the food at this man's resturant is very good and that he has a heart to help. This is not to say that he should be a party planner. He is a nice Italian man.

Quickest Update Ever

This is Claire Marie Iovino, Isn't she beautiful! I know I'm bias but all the nurses here say so too! (it's prolly cause they will be fired if they say otherwise, but that only applies to ugly babies, of which ours is not one) (as you can clearly see)

She was born at 7:29am on September 26 weighing in at 7lbs 15oz. and a whopping 20in in length! (everything will end in an exclaimation point for the next couple days, excuse me for my excitement)

What you've accomplished here is good

I'm still pregnant, at least for now, but I am 3 or 4cm dialated! I love how they phrase things to you when you are pregnant. Like when the doctor told me that I was 3 or 4cm dialated he used the phrase, "What you've accomplished here is good." which is supposed to make you feel good about where you are at, and it does. But really, I have done realitively nothing to get myself to dialate. I mean if sitting around eating everything in sight counts as accomplishing something, I understand why some women want to be pregnant all the time. I think everyone should use that phrase for everyday things, like telling you your cold has cleared up "What you've accomplished here is good." Or when you finish your dinner "What you've accomplished here is good." or when your hair grows an inch "What you've accomplished here is good" It's just ubsurd and I can't really convey how absurd it is. But I guess What I've accomplished here is good.

Blame your ankles

So last week I went to the doctor, when you are pregnant they still do the weigh in thing every time you go (and you go almost once a week). It's like their way of torturing you for some unknown reason. I mean, if I were an OB I would invent a scale where you don't have to watch them slide the little bars around, first they slide the little one all the way to the right (as if they can't already see that they are no way no how going to balance the bar by moving the little one) Then they move the big one, which makes that horrifying clunk noise when it locks into the groove, screaming to you that you have passes the 150 lb mark. And as if it's not all bad enough they do it about 5 inches in front of your face while you have nothing else to watch except the horrible sight in front of you, and even though you don't wanna look and do the math; you do. I'm telling you, scales where they do all the sliding and clunking behind your back would really be a big hit, add that to your book Miss Brenda.
So anyway, in one week I gained 5lbs.! Now granted when you are pregnant you are supposed to gain weight, but 5lbs in 7 days seems a bit excessive to me. And apparently it was to the doctor too. He noted that fact aloud (just in case I hadn't done the math in my head already). Then he asked me if my ankles were swollen... WHAT!?! I mean swollen ankles are part of being pregnant too, but 5 lbs in my ankles, I think we would have noticed that right off the bat; when I could no longer stand up. In my ankles indeed. So the next time you gain weight just blame it on your swollen ankles. Apparently that's a very medical thing to do.

ps. Everything is fine, we attribute the weight gain to a big baby... who is very healthy and active.

Maternity- a time of transition

Alex makes me think again, he's really good for that; from alternate hands (what would yours be?) to 'car seats' and growing a second spine. Today he made me think about maternity. A word he learned through this whole pregnancy. He's begun to think of maternity as more than just a certain type of pants or tops and more like a time of transition to motherhood. I guess that's what it is, I've never thought of it that way, I guess to me it's been pants and tops. But today I made maternity pancakes; not quite as good as 'mom pancakes' but definately better than 'sister pancakes'. Everything in your life transitions in 'maternity mode', even the type of food you make. Alex also had the idea to market paternity clothes, I'm not sure what the difference would be but I'm sure someone would buy them, or some hormone crazed woman would buy them for her husband just because she has to wear maternity wear. Good idea.

I Saw My Life Flash Before My Eyes

When you die people say that your life flashes before your eyes, they never say though if it makes them cry or laugh. Today I had my life flash before MY eyes (not cause I was dying though) and it made me laugh so hard I cried at times...
It all started with the bathroom remodel upstairs, my mom wanted to put pictures of us potty training above the toilet (how cute huh?). So I volunteered to find the pictures, thinking it wouldn't take TOO long. (How wrong I was) We have about 2000 slides that I went through and I only found pics of Stasi and I and none of Ami (sorry hun, we'll have to take an updated one for the wall :) Anyway... you would never belive the things that you find out about your childhood or relatives when you look through your life. For examples:
-My uncle Ronnie was a coach for the livestock judging team after he graduated with his masters degree
-If I'm ever strapped for cash I have several aunts or cousins who would pay top dollar to have control of some of the pictures I found, either of hair-do's or outfits or faces, or all three.
-My sister Stasi and I went snorkling (in the bathroom sink)
-There were indeed ponies in the backyard when I was growing up, I have seen the pictures and you can no longer make me second guess my memories. (I'm sure Grandma had a pony too even though I haven't found the evidence to back that up)
-My mother won a contest for making an outfit entirely out of wool (we have the newspaper clipping)
-My family has an entire roll of film devoted to shopping for groceries, because they were on vacation, complete with the smiling cashere. (although they are strange the fruit pictures are priceless)
-My sisters and I were very theatrical when we were younger, we have played many rolls including and not limited to: Prarie girl playing trombone, Wizard, Mary, Angle of the Lord, Indian all of which we made the costumes for.. we have been seen in such productions as the Havener/Hurst Christmas Pagent of '93 and The Little Engine that Could, staring Stasi as the little red fire engine.
-My sisters and I could also convince anyone to dress up in anything, we have the pictures to prove it, Alex inherited it because there are pictures of everyone and thier mother (literally) wearing his football Helmet at least, if not the entire get up.
And those are just the highlights... tons more where that came from. Come on over we'll have a gay old time, cause I am only halfway through all the pictures... also if you know anyone who would be able to scan all 3 million of these slides and make them digital, that would be great... The place I called said it would take a month for 500 slides and it would cost $.75 per slide. WOW, I'm glad we have these memories.

Lamaze

Mom and I went to our first "baby class" yesterday, Lamaze; which is a silly name now that I stop to look at it. It also seems like it will never work, think about it, you may have seen the 'miracle of life' movie in your health class, remember the look on that mother's face? Childbirth is difficult, at least that's what seems to be the accepted conception of the activity. Anyway, in lamaze you are controling that pain through rythmic breathing and focus on other things. (like the farming game) I'm just not sure about it... but Miss Brenda says it works, so we'll go with that. Overall it went well, I learned about rythmic breathing slowly, and paced and candle blowing and this one technique that is almost like a game of simon, mom and I think we'll use that one in labor, we had fun last night doing it.
Being pregnant is more than just carrying a baby, and having strange food cravings and getting grumpy all the time. Although it is all of that, which those who are blessed to be close to me know all too well. It also makes you do things that you would normally think are absurd. Like when you first get pregnant and you go to your doctor, they actually ask you if you are craving paint chips... like to eat them. If someone asked that of you any other time, you would look at them like they had 12 heads, but apparently paint chips and glue are favorites of pregnant women all around the world. (you should not partake of these substances, they are harmful to you and your unborn child) Also, besides the non-food cravings that make you strange, you develop a strong bond with your pillows. I have 6 on my bed right now and some women have more than that plus a husband. You wrap pillows around yourself, the other night in fact I covered myself with pillows instead of a blanket, don't ask me why unless you are ready to ask the paint chip lady why. There is no reason, you just do it naturally. And the sick thing about your obsessive bond with your pillows is that they encourage it. Every book you read will encourage you to 'surround yourself with pillows' and last night I was instructed to take my affair with my pillows out into the real world, I had to bring 'two bedsize pillows' to class. I guess they are getting your ready for a multiple birth where you have to choose your favorites sometimes, because I have 6 pillows and I'm only allowed to bring two?! But don't worry, there are three classes and I get to bring two each time, everyone will get a turn.

Famous Last Words

I'll tell you now what.... it's been so long since I wrote that to try to catch up on all that has been missed would be impossible... but here are the highlights:
1. Finished up my student teaching under much stress from Nyack
2. Graduated... complete with noise makers and my entire family
3. Took my family around NYC, we rode a city bus!
4. Came home
5. Found out I am 5 months pregnant (SUPRISE!) (i am now 8 months along)
6. Got a job taking pictures at a photography studio in Wal-Mart
7. Got engaged to Jimmy, the love of my life
8. Was Maid of Honor at my sister's wedding (which was a lovely affair)
9. Began family counciling
So there you have the highlights. That's what happens when you end a post with "what now?" not such a good idea.

Teaching is Wonderful

teaching is wonderful. I learn new things everyday. Like what hemisphere Jamaica is in. And that my Carribean students are frantic over jerk chicken. Also today I went to a staff development. It was wonderful!! Amazing and encouaging. I have seen some pretty scary things in this placement. Like the guy sitting next to me was the Asst. Principal at the other Middle School in our district and he had a clipboard and on the first page it said: " Frequently Called Phone Numbers For Disiplinary Problems" And under that it had like 13 names with phone numbers and times of day when it was best to call. It's crazy! But the speaker today was wonderful and I saw new vision for a non- business model school system which would be wonderful to experiance. I also talked about Interdisipinary Projects which are the way to go! I am so excited to say that I went to a school that had a sucessful interdis. program. I wonder if they still do it?
Well like I said teaching is wonderful. I am enjoying it, and it's almost over, then what? who knows?

Home, not alone

I'm home, for break and to see Stasi, But so is everyone else. Like Micah and Ami and Aunt Sara and all her boys. Our house hasn't been empty since Tues. If I had known that I would have gotten all my 'alone' stuff done. Like lesson plans that are difficult for me to get together when there are other things going on. And laundry, since everyone else needs to do laundry too. (none of us have clean trousers) I'm home, but not alone.

One Step at a Time

So here's the deal, today I was thinking about sending out some more resumes to try to find a job so I'm not still living at home at 23 years of age. And I started to think about where I would go... overseas, stateside; urban, rural, suburb; elementary, middle, high school; public, private, camp setting, Christian; to look for pay or experiance... the questions and possibiblities are endless. And then, because that became daunting too quickly I began to think about where I had been... stateside, urban, rural, suburb, elementary, middle school, public. And all the places I wish to go.
This past week has been a stretch as I began my second placement. Coming from Kindergarten in a very affluent community to a middle school in a very urban area has been quite a switch. I am hearing things like administrators saying "Well it was only a slashing, not a stabbing, thank goodness". I have had to gain a key to get into the bathroom (and it only works on the floor I teach on). I have had to lock up anything that wasn't bolted to the floor, so it doesn't walk away. I have fallen in love, yet again. It's nice to be here, I have more kids but I can remember some of the kids names which I have help with since some of them have thier name shaved into the side of thier heads, or tatooed on thier bodies.
Over all I will see where this road takes me, but for now, I'll live in the moment, I'm only 22 so I have a year (right mom *wink *wink). And I've painted my toes so no matter where I go I can put my prettiest foot forward.

Making a Dent

So today marks a full week since I began this saga of finding a student teaching placement. But for the school it marks a full year since they began this process. I still don't understand why they can't just do thier jobs and get me into a school. Today I called twice, emailed twice, and stopped by twice. I have yet to talk to the student teaching coordinator in person, or on the phone, or via email. This is frustrating! I did call the Middle School and I am very pleased to say that the principal I wasn't sure existed does in fact exist and she is very sweet sounding on the phone, very friendly and helpful. I begin Thursday although I'm not sure that the Middle School knows what I am to be doing there since when I spoke with the principal and she didn't even know that I was needing an ESL placement. At this point I am demanding from the school that they send me all the forms they sent to the Middle School, and I'm pretty sure it's a short stack. (or none at all based on the information that the Middle School had.) So I go in Thursday! yeah, for finally making some sort of headway. Thanks to all who prayed and thought well toward me. I appriciate it. Keep it up.

Bordom Reigns

This week has been boring and frustrating as I just sat around and did basically nothing all week. Next week doesn't look that promising either. Basically my school can't get thier act together enough to find me a placement for my student teaching. So I am at thier mercy till they figure it out. So.... bordom reigns! If you would like to send me mail that would give me something to read and maybe cause I'm bored I'll write back.

My Last Day of Elementary School

So today was my last day. In the beginning they told us that our first placement would be the hardest to leave. I didn't beleive them when I met S and the rest of my kids. But now I do. I was prepared to say goodbye to them one class at a time and instead the Alina and Lizane had planned a big party for the end of the day. The kids had made me cards and pictures with notes. They are so precious! I almost cried, but didn't. Then my teacher got me a starting teacher kit which includes an exacto knife. I'm not sure what that means about my first year of teaching but we'll go with it. In all it was a good day. And tomorrow will be a whole other story....

Mini Moments That Make Me Laugh

While sharing about healthy eating habits L shared with the class that she didn't drink soda. Trying to elicit more language from her I asked why. Fishing for the answer like 'it has too much sugar' or 'it's bad for your teeth' or 'it has too much caffene.' But I never would have been prepred for the answer I got. "Because I'm Russian". Who knew?

We have show and tell everyday in Kindergarten ESL, one to two kids a day. Today was Jo's turn. He forgot his show and tell in his classroom so he had to go back and get it. I think he forgot all together because he came back with his winter hat. 'a strange show and tell' I thought but oh well to each his own. Then to my delight he turned the hat inside out and showed us the real show and tell item. The Tag! who would have thought? So today's show and tell was the tag from Jo's hat. We looked at the washing instructions and what the hat was made of. (100% cotton in case you were wondering)

One of my students who is very cooperative most of the time crack me up sometimes with his uncanny way of connecting chicken nuggets to anything. JW can make anything about chicken nuggets and the funny thing is that he can explain it to you in a way that in the end you feel like his reasoning is perfectly logical. So here's to JW and his chicken nuggets. (His mom says he won't eat them.)

Not Valid

So it has been quite some time since I have posted anything and I'm not sure this is going to post anyway because I am not valid. (Which seems to be the story of my life lately.) Google has taken over my blog and I'm not sure why it won't let me post things such as comments on my sister's blog because I'm not valid. It is sad to not be valid.
At school today I was not valid. I am administering state tests for NJ (which are the devil in paper form). However because I have ESL students who don't know what you mean when you give directions like "Only write on the lines provided"
"What does provided mean?"
"What do you think it means?"
"You're the teacher don't you know?"
"Yeah doesn't it say in that book you are reading from?"
"As a matter of fact, it doesn't say in this book I'm reading from. But I do know what provided means. But I can't tell you because this is a test" (I'm only allowed to say what the books says.)
"I don't beleive you."
"Ok provided means only write on the lines on the page, don't make up lines of your own or write anywhere else on the page."
"I still don't believe you, can we have snack now."

And so goes my non valid testing strategies out the window. I didn't feel so bad when I heard that the ESL kids scores don't go into the overall scores of the school and that most of the time my cooperating teacher does more than just reexplain directions in plainer than plain English.

Today I also dressed up as the cat in the hat and I got to light the principal's hat on fire. Well not the hat itself, just the candles on his hat. That was not something every student teacher gets to do, I wonder if I can put that on my resume. They keep telling us to remember things we do in our placements that not every student teacher gets to do. I think that counts. although I don't think it will help me get in good with the principals I am applying with. but oh well.

Miss Havener

So I am officially Miss Havener! It's strange, whenever I introduce myself to the students, I still say "Hi, I'm A..Miss Havener" It's kinda like Joe, my boyfriends nephew, who adds A to the beginning of every word he says. only with him it's cute cause he's 2 and with me it's not quite as cute cause I'm 19 years past the 'cute stage'. But my students are SO cute! I am in love with them already. I am teaching on the GW bridge, In Englewood Cliffs (North Cliff Elem. and Upper School Elem.) It's been tons of fun so far and now promises to be more work than I had imagined. Some days I wonder for a split second if I really want to do this FOR-EV-ER (yeah for the sandlot), and then one of my kids will say hi, or come to class ready to learn, and I forget that I even had that moment of doubt. I guess I'm in this for the long haul.

Cross Your Fingers

Its been a while since I wrote here, although I have been doing plenty of writing for school. My semester is over (Praise the Lord!), It ended hecticly as I tried to pull together all of the things I left to the last minuet. I got it all done and when the dust settled my grades were better than I thought they would be. mostly A's (like my mom loves to hear). I am still fighting with the school about one of my grades, which is somewhere out there, and I wish to retreive it (cross your fingers). I return to school on the 6th and will hopefully be student teaching this spring, although the school has not given me a placement as of yet, (cross you fingers on that one too). So really Santa treated me well and I am looking forward to getting back to school, if that's possiable. (cross your fingers).