Mission Accomplished

A few weeks ago I was able to finish my first 10K with my former college roommate, Ann. It was a glorious weekend of shopping, fellowship, and rejoicing in all that life has to offer. If you talked to me two years ago and said I would be running 6.2 miles without stopping I would have laughed in disbelief. It was two years ago that I was convicted about the unhealthy lifestyle I was living and set out to change it. I've lost 40 lbs since then and have a new found joy in running. I've still got more weight to lose but I am happy with the active lifestyle I have maintained so far. Next on the list is running a half marathon in March and maybe a triathlon after that. I praise God for the strength and endurance he has blessed me with to continue my running.

I believe, help my unbelief.

From Spurgeon's Morning and Evening:


"O you doubt, O Christian, do you doubt as to whether God will fulfil His promise?...  When not a sparrow falls to the ground without your Father, and the very hairs of your head are all numbered, will you mistrust and doubt Him?


Remember, it is a sin; and not a little sin either, but in the highest degree criminal. The angels never doubted Him, nor the devils either: we alone, out of all the beings that God has fashioned, dishonour Him by unbelief, and tarnish His honour by mistrust. Shame upon us for this!


Our God does not deserve to be so basely suspected; in our past life we have proved Him to be true and faithful to His word, and with so many instances of His love and of His kindness as we have received, and are daily receiving, at His hands, it is base and inexcusable that we suffer a doubt to sojourn within our heart. May we henceforth wage constant war against doubts of our God."

Facing the realities of life

Today was a day when the harsh realities of living in a broken city like New Orleans just slaps you in the face. We had a whole school staff meeting after the last bus rolled out in order to align on what to tell a student who is in a touchy situation. We have several students who live at a boy's home and one of the boy's mothers was arrested for murder this week. He absolutely adores his mother and this information would shatter him. The rest of his family asked the group home to tell him that his mom got a job out of town and asked the school to support them in their efforts. 

Can you imagine that this is your life? Oh friends, pray for us. Pray for my kids--that they will know the peace of God. Pray that God will give me the strength to love them even when it's hard and to trust that He is sovereign. 

Boot lust

The weather has finally turned cooler here in NOLA and I am on the prowl for some fun boots that I can wear out and to work. Check these out:

Gracious reminders

"Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, 'I believed, and so I spoke,' we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God. So we do not lose heart. Though our outer nature is wasting away, our inner nature is being renewed day by day. For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal."

2 Corinthians 4:13-18 (ESV)

Week in review: high and low

Low point:
Calling child services every day this week only to have them tell us that if we want anything to happen we should just call the police. Then calling the police and having them show up, talk to the child, take her to the hospital, then send her straight back into the situation that we are trying to get her out of. My heart breaks for this innocent child and I am so frustrated at our social system that has failed her.


High point:
One of my student's, let's call her Ms Princess for future reference, has been quiet a diva this week. She has been screaming, pushing, and hitting when I make her do any work or wait in lines with her peers. These are all things that she can do so I don't back down but this means that there is a constant battle between us. I try to act as the enforcer while showing no emotion so that I don't reinforce her behaviors and she finally will do what she needs to do but it is exhausting. We've been having about 4 showdowns a day.
Thursday I was working with her another peer in her class and she was getting to take a break. She came skipping (note the diva-ness--she doesn't just walk anywhere, she prances) up to me from across the room and planted two kisses on my cheek. I have no idea what motivated this action but it melted my heart. Thank you God for these small moments.

Foster parenting

God has placed me in a job where I encounter children from broken homes and have the blessing of being a part of their lives. It breaks my heart that these small children don't have the opportunity to live a carefree life like children should be able to live. One of my newest kids comes from a situation that absolutely shatters my heart. Excuse the comparison but the best way to describe her demeanor is to compare it to that of a puppy who has been repeatedly beaten and cowers when you go to gently pet it. She is constantly living in fear.

I've thought a lot about being a foster parent or adopting in the past but always saw it as something in the far off future that I would do after I've been married for a while. Recently, I feel like God is pushing foster parenting closer and closer. It isn't a possibility right now due to my living situation but may very well be around August of next year. This is a very scary thing. I'm scared to death of giving up my freedom and independence and having a child totally depend on me to meet their needs. Not to mention I would be a single parent. Did I say scary?! It freaks me out completely but I go to work every day and see kids in need of a stable home (we have many great parents and families involved with our school too). How can I not offer myself and my home when it is exactly what they need?

I'm freaking out. Please pray for me--that I would do God's will whatever it may be and no matter how scary it may be.

All Things Fall

The weather following Tropical Storm Lee has been fantastic! It actually feels like early Fall (still hot but less humidity) and the weather is just in time for football season, which is the true sign that Summer is officially over.

I spent last weekend (the first official weekend of Fall, in my opinion) enjoying Charleston, SC and all that it has to offer--great food, fabulous company, pleasant weather, ocean breeze, front porches, and southern hospitality. I'll be sure to post some pictures once I get them uploaded.

This weekend was spent trying to soak up all things Fall. I spent the ENTIRE day Saturday watching football. The day started at 9am with College Gameday and announcers who have no faith in Auburn. We proved them wrong in a nail biting game. Then I watched bits of other SEC games and a good game between Notre Dame and Michigan which rounded up my night around 10:30pm. I only left the couch to workout, shower, and make hummus. It was fantastic!!

Today I enjoyed the day by biking to church, running some errands, and cooking. I know I have talked about how I enjoy cooking before but I want to reiterate how therapeutic it is to me. I get a rush cooking for others, playing around with a variety of flavors, and adapting recipes to make them healthier. Here is what I made today:
1. I adapted a recipe for Artichoke Quiche to make an even healthier version. I substituted wild rice instead of white rice, cheddar flavored veggie shred instead of cheddar cheese, and egg whites instead of egg substitute which led to a lower calorie and carb count with added protein (4 servings, 200 calories each). This meal is great for anytime of the day!
2. Italian Eggs over Spinach and Polenta-- I actually followed the recipe from Cooking Light on this one. I even surprise my self sometimes. :)
3. Pumpkin Spice Granola-- I didn't have any cardamom so I left that out and I opted to add some sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, and raisins to the mixture. I LOVE all things pumpkin.
4. I had the rest of the can of pumpkin left over after making the granola so I just had to make something else. It was just meant to be when I stumbled across this recipe for Impossible Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes. Yum. I prefer them without the whipped cream. I challenge you to make them and try just eating one. It's impossible!

Let me know if you try any of these recipes and how they turn out. How have you been enjoying Fall?

Stupid Criminals

My bike was stolen about a week ago out from under my enclosed front porch. You can't really see in so someone must have watched my roommate put it under there or was looking around for something to take. I hoped that it was stolen because someone saw it being put under the porch. This would mean that someone in my neighborhood took it and I would likely see it around.

Well, today was that day. Not only was it someone in my neighborhood that took it but my neighbor that lives two doors down. She is an overweight, African American woman who seems to have a mental disability. I drove home from work early today because I wasn't feeling well. When I pulled up, I saw her get off the bike and stick it behind a vehicle so I couldn't see it. I approached her and nonchalantly asked her where she got the bike. Her response was that someone sold it to her. I told her that it was my bike and had been stolen. When I asked who sold it to her, she said that she couldn't tell me. I said, "well, I hope you can get your money back" and "thanks for helping me find my bike" ... and walked away with my bike which is now safe and sound in my living room.

Ugh!!! This world is so broken!!

This situation also makes me think about the students that I work with who have all types of disabilities. I do not want them to grow up and become this person. My goal is for them to become positive contributors to their community and society as a whole. I only work with my students for a limited number of years but I hope and pray that my work with them starts them on the right path. I love my kiddos. Every last one.

Trying to remember that I’m the grown up

*Deep sigh* Today was rough. I work with a population that likes their routines and structure (and let’s face it…so do I) but we are only on day 6 of school and the routines are not fully engrained in our minds. We’re also working out the kinks of scheduling instruction and supports so that our students can be successful in the classroom. The meltdowns throughout the day make me feel like I’m not meeting their needs. Actually, I am definitely not meeting their needs at this point. I know it is never going to be perfect but I want my students to be comfortable in school and be able to participate in class. Right now this is not happening.

My day started out with wrangling my new kindergarten kids through the breakfast line and repeating the same directions 5 MILLION times. –Hands by your side. Body still. Turn around. Stay in the line. Keep your body off of other people. Hands down. Stand up tall. –Then a new 1^st grader comes in and has a melt down because he doesn’t know where I am. After I settle my kindergartner with her breakfast and rush to the side of my tantrum throwing student, he refuses to walk through the line. However, he wants breakfast and is willing to stand in one place and yell and cry until it comes about. Little does he know that I don’t give in easily. After 5-10 minutes of him yelling, I convince him to walk through the line (still yelling) and sit at a table. He finally eats some of his food and I set a visual timer to let him know how long he has until he has to throw it away. When the timer goes off, I tell him that it is time to throw our breakfast away and he shoves a whole biscuit in his mouth. He doesn’t want to throw anything away so I pick up his tray and throw it away. This causes a full out meltdown (and let me remind you, this is with his mouth full of biscuit and a cafeteria full of k-2^nd graders). The biscuit ends up all over the table and he ends up on the floor—screaming, with big alligator tears rolling down his face and snot oozing everywhere. I maneuver him out of the cafeteria and convince him to take a deep breath, which finally calms him down.

This was all within the first 45 minutes of my day and serves as a good indicator of what the rest of my day was like. By the end of the day, I was struggling to soothe my students and remind them of the routines in place. It took all the mental strength I had left to not have a meltdown myself.

Parents, how do you do it????

Pray for me.

School is like Spinach

Some kids like it. Others don't like but will eat it because they know it is good for them. However, some kids just don't like it and will fight you if you try to make them eat it.

Our kids start back tomorrow and I am so excited to see their faces again and get to invest in their lives. I am anxiously anticipating what will work and what obstacles we will face. Please pray for the teachers to have a peace about this week and not worry over the small things that will go wrong. It is going to be a long week but I can't wait for morning!

I have been insanely busy preparing independent workstations, visual schedules, emotions charts, intervention schedules, first-then boards, and participating in professional development for the past two weeks. I wanted to spend some time this weekend resting and mentally preparing myself for Monday morning. One thing I enjoy doing is cooking and baking. Last night I made delicious Paula Deen Salmon Patties and Chocolate Cherry Nut Bars from one of my new favorite food blogs, Peas and Thank You. Cooking is therapeutic for me and I love experimenting with new recipes. Today has been spent at church, watching reruns of my guilty pleasure...Grey's Anatomy, and hopefully going to Target to get some comfy teaching shoes.

First day of school, here I come!

Go team USA!

I'm sitting here watching my recording of USA and Japan battle it out on the soccer field and listening to the rain fall--the perfect time to give a little life update.

-Year one of teaching is finished. Now I get to enjoy my month long break that is coming to an end in one short week. I wasn't sure if a month would be enough time to get rested and miss my kids but I think it ended up being perfect. Now I'm ready to go back in and crack the whip/love on my kiddos.

-I recently got off of Facebook. No, I did not "de-friend" you. It was a much needed change. My life is complete without updating the entire world with my shenanigans and hearing drama in other people's lives. I love investing and sharing in friend's lives but Facebook was not a productive way for me personally to do this. Hopefully this will give me more time to blog. ;)

-One of my best friends had a baby and I got to be there to welcome him into the world (pictures will come as soon as his Mimi emails them to me). He is going to have a fun Aunt Laura to come visit in New Orleans when his mom needs a little break. It was such a blessing to me to get to see my friend and her husband form this family; it literally brings tears to my eyes. God has blessed me by getting to see His hand at work not only in my life but in my friend's lives as well.

-God has been so faithful in my life despite my fickleness. He proves His love for me again and again. Yet, I don't trust Him when things are out of my control. This has been especially true in the past week. My roommate and I have to either find a roommate to move in with us or a 2 bedroom apartment to move into. We have been unable to find a place that meets all of our needs and is in a desirable neighborhood so I reluctantly agreed to look for a random roommate online. Shortly after agreeing, Sarah found someone's ad that looks very promising. She seems to be a Christian, which was my major concern. I want to come home to a positive and encouraging environment because I do not receive spiritual encouragement at work--not that it is a negative environment. Please pray that we will rest in God's faithfulness.

Now back to soccer... Let's make some of these kicks count!

My life is consumed by babies!

I was just looking back through my pictures to add to my post and the majority of them were of kids or kid related. Don't get me wrong...I love it! I just feel for my mom since my being around other people's kids all the time makes me appreciate my quiet home-meaning no grandkids from me in the near future.

One of my friends has a 4 year old now! A lot has happened in those 4 years but it has gone by SO quickly. Here is the little man showing of the fireman outfit I bought him for his big day.

Below is my student who has been dealing with family issues. Please pray for her and her older sister and younger brother. They are all in safe and healthy environments now but the changes have taken a toll on them. I am so thankful they are able to stay in our school to allow for some consistency and just so I can love on them.

And last but not in any way least, my favorite little Orangutan! I am so glad I had a chance to go see my good friend, Dee, and her family. Precious Emma Grace is 8 months old and growing like a weed. Dee has even managed to potty train her already!

Life is like a box of chocolates...

If you eat a nasty one, you have to eat about three more to get rid of the taste.

My nasty chocolate has been trying to figure out how to help my student and her family since their eviction. They went into foster care this week which was a huge relief to me (knowing that they are fed, clean, and rested) but heartbreaking for their dad. Please pray that the housing application we helped him fill out will be pushed through quickly due to their situation. The housing comes with supports that would help this single father care for his children. It would be a huge blessing!

On a positive note, I have had many good chocolates too!

1. I found out that I get to return to work at my school next year! There are many things that I love about my school. Not that it is perfect, but I LOVE the people I work with and my students.

2. I have also been consistent about staying physically active despite a busy schedule. I'm not losing more weight but have maintained my weight loss since last year. I am joining our teachers' kickball team this week. Joining the team is a little frightening to me since I am uncoordinated but I'll wait to kick until everyone else has had a few beers and levels the playing field. :)

3. This summer I will also be able to go see my amazingly wonderful friend, Casey, when she and her hubby have their first baby. I can't wait!!!!!! I'm also going to see another friend and her family next week. This crazy lady has potty trained her 8 month old daughter. This phenomenon is something that has to be seen in person.

I brought a kid home with me

I always knew I would be bringing students in if I could, but I never thought it would become a reality until today. One of my kindergarten students is staying at my house this weekend and her two siblings are staying with another teacher.

Their family has been through the ringer. Momma abandoned the family in December. Daddy can't get over it and drags the kids out searching for her when they should be in school. Dad has been unemployed until today and they got evicted yesterday. My heart breaks for the pain dad must be feeling but he needs to pull it together. There is no doubt in my mind that he loves his kids. I hope he can use his time this weekend to get it together and take time for himself.

Please pray for this family. Pray that dad would know the hope that is found in God alone. Also, if you feel compelled to donate anything, it would be welcome. The children are in need of clothes and hygiene items (pre-k boys items, k girls items, and 2nd grade girls items). I can get specific sizes if you're interested.

Let the parades begin!

Tonight is the first parade of the 2011 Mardi Gras season. Mardi Gras season means good food, little work, and a lot of time to hang with friends. I can hardly wait! One of the most memorable times from last year's parades was when a rider on the third level of a float pointed at me and proceeded to slingshot something down to me. I caught the flying purple material and lifted it up to see that it was a pair of purple, lacy panties. Awkward...especially since it was an old man that threw them to me. Here's to hoping that I don't get thrown any panties this year. :)

Laissez les bon temps roulez!

Yesterday feels so far away

Today was a total bust. 1) I found out I'm getting 3 new kids, two have been in school the whole year and no one knew they had an IEP. 2) I have to write report cards after only being here for 3 weeks. 3) A parent brought me to tears out of sympathy for their family situation only to find out later that he totally lied to me. 4) One of my kids put his hand down a teacher's pants.

But tomorrow is a new day...

Feelin' the love!

What a wonderful day! There is no other place I would have preferred to be than with my kiddos. They all generally had a good day. One of my third graders did not have such a hot day but we had an excellent talk about how we can make the rest of this week better (and some prizes he can work towards--that always helps). Then I came home to the wonderful smell of flowers that I bought for myself and went out with one of my roommates to a wine bar.

"How deep the Father's love for us

How vast beyond all measure

That He would give His only Son

To make a wretch His treasure."

(How Deep the Father's Love for us by Stuart Townend)

I like sweetie pie...

That's what one of my kids proceeded to tell me while waiting in the lunch line this week. The next thing I know, he's calling me sweetie pie all day. These are the moments I treasure. I have to force myself to remember those moments when I'm cleaning poop off of a child's entire body. It still makes my stomach churn just thinking about it. I'm no stranger to these kinds of behaviors and I know that's what I signed up for, but sheesh--please, no more poop. I would also love just one single day where one of my kids is not sent into the hall for vulgar behavior. I am spending so much money on things to reinforce his good behavior and I haven't even received my first paycheck yet. I'm so glad for a long weekend (we have Friday off) so I can work on some intervention plans for my kiddos and make next week a success.

Week 1

I made it!

Actually, my first week has been wonderful! The teachers have been supportive and welcoming which makes the biggest impact in me settling in and getting to know the kids. This week I spent most of my time trying to figure out what time I am supposed to be places and how to teach the curriculum that is in place. I lost 2.5 lbs this week if that is any indicator of how much running around I am doing ( I also woke up early 3x this week to run).

The kids were generous enough to share their germs with me so I have spent the weekend trying to rest and recover. I am worthless when I have a head cold. Does anyone else feel like that? It's pitiful really. Yesterday I slept until 12:30 (which I don't think has happened since high school), almost ran three red lights, and only shaved one leg while showering. I'm starting to rethink not getting the flu vaccination. If this is how I am with a cold, I would be out for months with the flu. Please pray that my kids will still get all the instruction and support they need despite me being sick and pray that I feel better soon.

"Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy! He who goes out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, bringing his sheaves with him" -Psalm 126:5-6

I'm employed!

God has truly answered my prayers concerning where I need to be working. Last Thursday I was contacted by a charter school organization asking if I was interested in a special education teaching position at one of their charter schools here in NOLA. I had sent my resume to the organization in the summer but they did not have any positions open for the Fall semester and they now have an opening because their special education coordinator is on maternity leave for the rest of the semester. Anyways, I had two short phone interviews with them and went in Friday to meet the kids I would work with. After being there for about 30 minutes, the principal told me that she would like for me to start Monday. Yikes!

I am so thrilled about working with the kids in this school. The school is located in a low-income neighborhood about a 15 minute drive from my house. The majority of students are African American and there are only two white kids in the whole school. I think this is awesome but I am a little nervous about the cultural barriers that I will have to overcome. Coming from a white middle-class family, I will have a lot to learn about how to relate to the children who may have experienced much more hardship in their few years on Earth than I had by their age. I'm also a little anxious coming into a school in the middle of the year. Everyone there is firmly settled into routines and relationships and I will be an outsider. Also, I do not know the children or their strengths so I am worried about being able to continue the progress they have made since the beginning of the year.

Please continue to pray for me 1)that I would easily build relationships with the existing teachers, 2) that God would give me peace and the ability to recall all relative knowledge that I have learned over the years, and 3) that God would use me for His glory in ALL things. Also, I would love to be praying for those of you who read my blog. Please let me know if there is anything I can pray for you about.

Job opportunity: Prayer needed

I have wonderful friends who are encouraging and have been talking me up to other educators in order to help me find a job. One of their friends at the parent play group works at an upscale preschool in the Garden District and she called me to see if I was interested in taking a job with them. I am extremely flattered to be considered (not that I have decided to take the job) because it is an amazing school with an outstanding reputation.

My dilemma in deciding whether or not to take this job is that I feel called to work with and advocate for low income families who are less likely to know the resources available to them. I don't know if working with low income families is what I need to be seeking after right now or if the job offer at the preschool is an opportunity to make an income for a semester while figuring out exactly where God wants me. I'm afraid that I will take the preschool job and get too comfortable working in a familiar environment instead of seeking an opportunity to work with low income families. Please pray that God will guide me in my decision making and make it clear where he wants me for this season of my life.

I don't want to be a grown up!

I should probably start applying for jobs but I feel like I need (and deserve) to take a break since finishing school and making it through the holiday hustle and bustle. I know of a job opening with The ARC of greater New Orleans for the exact position that I want and I love what the organization does in general. I don't think I will have a problem getting hired (other than needing a LA license and insurance-ugh) but I'm not ready. However, I do need to make some income. I can always take babysitting jobs but there are also several opportunities to be an extra in upcoming films being shot here in New Orleans so I decided to do some research. Here is what is being filmed now:

1. Looper- A sci-fi thriller starring Bruce Willis, Joseph Gordon-Levett, Paul Dano, and Emily Blunt.

2. So Undercover- Miley Cyrus plays a private eye at a university sorority house.

3. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter- Eric Bana stars

4. Contraband- thriller starring Mark Wahlberg, Ben Foster and Kate Beckinsale--they need hispanic extras so I might have a good chance :))