July 30th!

Haha. Does it seem like I'm really thinking ahead?

I am so ready for the summer to just officially start... Grad School, while great, is killing me... It may actually be the fact that I went into the summer semester just as my regular school year was finishing... and that may be why I'm so tired...

A lot of people wonder why I'm so busy even when it's summer and to be honest, my summers have always been to hang out with sisters, teach piano, randomly bum around... and now my summer is filled with classes, rushing around from plans with so and so to dinners with another person... and then on top of that, there's spending time with the boyfriend and supporting him at the Alliance tournament.... I do realize that it is not my duty to attend these games but do so because I genuinely want to support him... He never really wants me to go out of my way to be there for him or attend trips with his kids at CPC but I want to go... It's fun and I like most of his kids...

It has been argued (through at least two *minor* fights) that he does not want to burden me with his issues and problems because I have enough on my plate as it is... But that brings up the question of how I am supposed to share his burdens and him mine as we go about this dating relationship... But that also requires patience on my part because to be honest, I don't really mind sharing my burdens with others because I take comfort in the accountability that happens after I share and I suppose it is harder for him to share, not because he's unwilling to, but maybe because I do have a lot on my plate... sigh, I suppose it'll take more work...

On the flip side... I am sitting here blogging as opposed to working on my thematic unit plan becuse I am a bit flustered on how exactly this will come together...

more musings after the 30th... MUST complete THEMATIC UNIT.... by 11am! I purposely made a lunch date before my class so I don't put it off.... Hmm, what do you think? is it possible to accomplish?

I can do this!

So... I've officially concluded that I am beyond fat...

I need to get down to a weight that will leave me not only lighter but also happier. My weight has been the bane of my existence. Therefore, now that I've lost 4.2 pounds this past week and look to another week of success, I am hoping that I will be able to get down to my target weight of 110-115 by next June... around my birthday time.

My mother has continued to reiterate the notion that I need to be thinner... and I do believe that I could be a lot healthier if I were a bit less fat. But I am giving myself this year to breathe and focus on my own health... I know that I can do this with everyone's help and support... So let's get that show on the road... :)

I am sure that I can lose at least another 15 lbs by summer's end, another 20 by christmas, and the rest by June... It shouldn't be too bad since I was able to lose 33 lbs in about 7 months and maintain for another 8 months before I got too busy to work out again...

I have been pondering a lot about this fact that I will be unemployed and I look to it with a bit of pause... I do not regret having quit my job in this state of economic turmoil but I am definitely amused at how I am getting a variety of job opportunity emails from my network of advisors, job agencies, etc. I am very amused because this at least is somewhat of a comfort. I always knew that having dual certification for teaching both ESL and Spanish from the K-12 levels would be extremely beneficial. Now as I continue this particular degree, the emails that I have gotten only seem to reiterate the point that God will take care of me this year and open up a plethora of opportunities next year... And for that, I am both grateful AND excited...

Though very work-heavy, I am excited to be in school again and returning to a campus that I've loved over the years... NYU is home to me and I look forward to more IV Bible Studies, more big-sib/lil-sib dates, more introspective musings, and most of all, a group of friends I know I will always be able to count on... I look forward to solidifying my ties to Hosanna, although still relatively difficult. This year of transition leaves me hopeful for the rest of the years I spend there... no matter how long that actually will be...

I find great comfort in my boyfriend as he has continued to push and challenge me... It's been a very interesting 16 months and I'm still completely in awe of all that God's done and excited for what God's going to do... I'm still really happy and the butterflies still remain...

God has done so much in this last year that leaves me still speechless and shocked at the blessings He continues to pour out... In this last year, I have learned so much about support from my sisters, huge transitions, my passion for teaching, loving co-workers, and the love and support from my boyfriend. He has remained very constant in my life and while I don't know if this is a good thing, I can never stay mad at him... and he knows it! The conversations and fun banter that we go through never ceases to amaze me and still leaves a smile on my face...

Ok... time to get back to work before class starts in about an hour and a half...

I'm sooooo COLD! Brrrrr...

Note to self: Don't RUSH out of the house without a SWEATSHIRT!

SOOOOOO COLD in the lab!!! Outlet is by the A/C vent which is blasting! and the sun isn't helping...

still coughing and nose is still running... blah. Kchan! grrr. You got me sick!

Busyness... Part 2

Okay... So now, a post about grad school classes and true busyness...

I officially quit my job at the end of June... And I am officially unemployed and digging a huge hole of debt for myself as I return to NYU full time for my MA in TESOL. Oh boy, has it been a roller-coaster ride...

Not only am I fatter than I've ever been, but I've also signed up for 3 grad school classes... all in 3 week summer-intensives for a total of $11K because that's not pricey at all... I've been given the opportunity to finish my MA in ONE YEAR and walk with the Class of 2010 next May. In order to do so, I have to take 3 classes over the summer for a total of 9 credits and then finish up 26 credits (14 in the fall; 12 in the spring) during the academic school year.

I have fared well so far. I've already gotten an A- in class #1, will be getting a grade for class #2 approximately 2 weeks from now and will be getting a grade for class #3 by the first week of August.

Then it's time for a Classroom Management Workshop class called "Coping with Disruptive Student Behaviors" for 3 days (Aug 3, 4, 5 from 8:30-1:30)...

And THEN summer vacation can truly begin...

I return to school on Sept 8th (the same day I would have returned to work for Valley Stream) and will then figure the rest of my life out as I go along... I look forward to completing my degree and returning to some form of normalcy with my classes (though all in the evening). It is time to focus on my health and not let it fall by the wayside anymore. It is also time to focus more on the fact that with God on my side, I cannot truly face opposition... I can handle everything that God puts before me and it is a wondrous miracle that I got through my first year of teaching...

God, a little help would be very nice... so that I can stay sane... :)

Busyness... and Musing...

I'm officially transferring my xanga onto this blog. It appears to be a bit easier to create and compose blogs. Therefore, I will share with you my latest musing from my xanga. This particular entry was submitted at around 2am on Monday/Tuesday

HAHA. I just realized that I have no idea how to use this page to post blogs and stuff... It's definitely been a long time if I can't even remember that... To recap my entire year would be positively atrocious at this hour... so I leave you with the following thoughts on the year that I just went through...

I started teaching; I loved being in the classroom... I loved having the 5 classes... I hated the 2 buildings. It was so hard traveling and making sure all my bases were covered with each... Honestly, one of the hardest things was all the paperwork for both locations... It was like college all over again; only about 10 times worse. One of my department chairs was psycho; the other was getting her divorce finalized (and it's still an ongoing battle)... Gosh, this past year of my life was horrifyingly challenging BUT I walked away being secure in my teaching ability, loving my classes, prepared to try out new techniques when I get back into the classroom after this one-year hiatus, and with a passion for teaching that I didn't realize I still had after this year... I quit my job at the end of the year to pursue a Master's degree in TESOL, one that I will be finishing within a year with a scholarship(!) and an opportunity to work at my former place of employment with co-workers that I still love... God put me through one of the most challenging years of my life and still managed to surprise me with the scholarship and the grad school opportunity... He is amazingly good.

I finally started dating a wonderful, caring man... hahaha He really is. Let's just say that God finally said "ok" and confirmed both of our plans in the weirdest way possible but one that was totally original... We have at least 3 separate anniversaries, among others that could just be our "quasi-dating" period... March 20th, May 21st and July 4th... We just passed our Anniversary #3... And I'm still amazed at how God brought us together but for Him to do it in such a way that left me speechless, you know that's definitely God... I asked God to provide 3 different things when I finally realized my own tendencies for emotional dating relationships. I asked that God would provide a man who would be straightforward and honest with me, a man who would keep God in the relationship, and a man who would be willing to wait for God's confirmation. Ironically enough, this all happened rather oddly by my standards and completely normal on God's... So in April of 2007, I attended a sister's baptism and her dinner. At that dinner, I bumped into a friend of mine who I hadn't seen in a while. Well, after this dinner, we started talking again and getting reacquainted... During this time, I happened to be involved in an emotional dating relationship that God was going to rupture. God broke all of that up in a really heartbreaking, gut-wrenching experience but ultimately, one that He redeemed beautifully... Well, this friend of at least 7-8 years at the time started IMing me more and more and I found myself liking him again... Now, mind you, I liked this person since the day I met him in around 2000 but it was a little difficult at the time to consider relationships... Regardless, we would chat about a variety of different things and lo and behold, our friendship grew deeper while my heart was in its healing process. Fast forward to Feb of 2009 (a couple days after his 29th bday), he IMed me while I'm sick and DTRed with me... We both agreed we would stay friends, get to know each other better and pray for God's confirmation despite our own feelings. And I'm now in an amazing relationship with this man... He knows me unbelievably well and purposely does things to push my buttons... My parents like him and approve... My nieces and nephews love and adore him... My sister and brother-in-law both approve... Our friends approve... What more could I need?

To show evidence of that love...
My niece Chi Chi woke me up yesterday and said...
Ferfer! Where's Uncle Kevin? Can you go drive him here? I want to play with him! Please, ferfer, will you do it?
...and upon his arrival at my house...
My nephew CS sees him and says so nonchalantly...
Hi Kev! [and runs to greet him with a hug]

This one, I'm not surprised by. He will learn to call my bf "Uncle Kevin" in due time. He hasn't mastered the difficult two-syllable words... though he does talk a bit more now. He's turning 3 in Dec.

I'm amazingly blessed in more ways than one.

And with that recap... I'm off to bed. I'm beyond beat [in a tired sort of way] from my long day...

...i need to rest up for there's more work for me to do tomorrow...