Saying Goodbye

Carl visited this past weekend. We had a good time. Friday night we went out to dinner at Old Chicago--I had an amazing calzone and he had lasagna. I finally saw Taken, which is only a big deal because he's been wanting me to watch it for some time now. Turns out it was pretty good, so I guess I should stop shying away from movies just cuz I think I won't like them! Other than that, we saw a bit of the Bulls game on Saturday and ran some errands. It was a typical weekend for us. But I realized something when he was leaving.

We're pretty much immune to saying goodbye at this point.

I mean, he got in the car and practically drove off before realizing that I was standing there waiting for a hug. Now, I can remember times when it would take some serious effort to hold back the tears until after he drove away. And then there were times when both of us just couldn't help falling apart and leaving would become a drawn-out ordeal, waterworks and all. But now, it's pretty much routine and doesn't have that kind of effect anymore, which is weird. We've been long-distance for 2-1/2 years and I guess in some ways, it's a good thing that we're used to Goodbye because it's hard enough without making it...well, harder. On the other hand, it's kind of sad that it's no big deal, right?

Maybe I'm just a weirdo. Either way, I'm so happy that we both can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Come next August, I'll be student teaching somewhere in the Chicago suburbs, much closer to Carl. At that point, these three years will finally be behind us, and I can't wait!

New Look!

The blog needed a face lift. (AKA I didn't want to work on homework!)

Also, I had an absolutely amazing weekend at a retreat with 24/7, a campus ministry that I'm a part of. It was so great to just get away from reality and school, and focus on God! I will definitely be posting on the whole weekend soon!

Moms Are the Best

So, my mom is pretty much the most amazing woman. I love her to death for many reasons, but one fabulous thing about my mom is that literally, just days after she tells me that the bills are kinda crazy this month and that I should wait for a tote bag...She calls me up and tells me that she found one for me! Now, to be clear, I'm not a spoiled brat that gets everything that I ever want. I told her about wanting a "teacher tote" to transport a laptop and mountains of books to school and back. BUT, I did say that it was not a need at this very moment, and that was the end of that conversation. Then Mom does it again...she flexes her amazing Mom Muscles and spoils me anyway. What can I say, I'm a lucky girl. And as a result, I have this beauty coming my way in the next week:

Isn't it pretty?

And even better, because Mom loves a great deal (and so do I), we got this $70 tote for just $29.99! Amazing! Moms are the best, aren't they? Maybe I should tell her about this here blog, because I know I don't show my appreciation like I should.

Love you, Mom!

New Friends!

So, I know I haven't blogged in a while. And a lot has been going on. I really have been meaning to type some stuff out because there is just so much fun to share! Truthfully, it has just been really difficult because of general busyness.

One of the exciting things that has simultaneously taken up a LOT of time is my practicum! I started last week with a 3rd/4th grade class, and I absolutely love it! My new friends (that is, the kiddies) are just adorable and such a joy to be around. I'll call them my "friends" because this is a term that I've heard some teachers use, even though I'm not too fond of actually using it with the students. I don't know, it just feels weird to me to announce, "Okay friends, today we're going to talk about agriculture!" For 3rd/4th grade, it seems baby-ish, but for blogging purposes, it works =)

Okay, seriously now...I am having so much fun! My cooperating teacher is great and I feel like we have really clicked. I taught my first lesson on some science concepts that the students had questions about. I won't go into too much detail, but let's just say that this was the first time that I've actually been up in front of a class teaching, and I felt a total rush from it! Seeing the kids raise their hands with eager expressions and knowing that I had inspired that excitement was just awesome.

For Monday, AKA Valentine's Day, I decided to make valentines for the kids rather than buying them. Immediately regretted that decision. It took f.o.r.e.v.e.r. Seriously. But, maybe it was worth it in the end? I thought they turned out pretty cool, but in the future I might save myself the hassle because let's face it, as long as they get candy, kids don't really care!

The finished products...

Other than that, I've just been trying to stay balanced and organized with school work and such. Oh, and I went to see my friend, Katie, walk in a bridal show a couple of weekends ago!! It was so much fun, and she looked gorgeous!

Shout out to Katie!

Weddings and Football

This weekend was nice and relaxing...quite the change of pace from how the school week was! My friend and roommate from last year, Katie, was walking in a bridal show, so I went to that on Saturday. She looked gorgeous!! It was also fun to chat with her current roommate, Kristen, and just get to know her a bit more. We had so much fun that we made plans for Sunday, too!

Yes, it's true. I had no plans for the Super Bowl until the day before. Blame it on the fact that the Bears lost and I had no interest in seeing the Packers play. And win. That was not cool, but the three of us had a good time hanging out, eating some wings, and laughing at the commercials. I think my favorite was either the Doritos commercial, or the Pepsi Max ones. I also liked the one of the talking baby, but that's a given :)

Other exciting news is that I started my practicum placement today! I'm with a lively 3rd/4th grade class. They were quite chatty today, but I can already see that it is going to be fun getting to know them and working with them this semester. They had some great questions for me when I introduced myself...favorite sport (baseball), favorite color (orange), why my last name is what it is...lol. I wasn't sure how to handle that one, so I lamely said, I don't know...I was born with it! (They must think highly of me now...) Anyway, I really like the teacher. We seem to get along really well and I know that I will learn a lot from her.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa

Today was my Grandpa's Birthday, and while I think of him often, today I revisited some of the sweet memories I have of him. He passed away a year and a half ago, when I was a freshman. He was the first person that I was really close with that I lost, and it really hit me hard. I'm so thankful for all of the wonderful times we had and can look back on his life and smile.

I was his only granddaughter and her certainly knew how to make me feel special. He called me Leah Bella, and I can still hear his voice calling me that in his sing-songy way. He made me feel a true connection to my Italian roots with all of his stories...who knew how many of those were actually true, as he was the kind of character who would embellish to make things more interesting. Either way, I wish now that I could hear the same stories again, even though in my younger years I did an inner eye-roll when he would talk about the same things. Gosh, what I wouldn't do to hear his voice now.

My grandpa was the one who taught me to gamble...in cards and at the race track. It was so fun to watch him play poker, always taking chances and betting outrageously or not even looking at all of his cards! I always felt so special when he would ask me to play his hand when he would leave to smoke a cigarette. And I'll never forget the time when he yelled at my mom for making me change which horse I bet on at the track, because the horse had terrible odds, but of course it won!

He also taught me Italian...the clean and dirty stuff. Most of the time, he would just tell me to repeat something and I would have no clue what I was saying. And then he would just laugh. I wish that I had remembered more of that. For some reason, I only recall how to swear in Italian now :)

At my Grandpa's funeral, both my Uncle Jim and second cousin, Johnny, related Grandpa's life to the Frank Sinatra song, My Way. Even the funeral director, who knew my Grandpa personally, played that same song at the funeral, and the three of them had no clue that the others had the same idea. But My Way really is so fitting for Grandpa. I think he would say he lived a full life, and had no regrets. He "faced it all and stood tall," and he certainly did it his way. Some of us may not have agreed with everything he did, but there is no arguing that he did it his way and wouldn't have changed a thing. And for that, I truly admire him.

Always in our hearts, Grandpa. I love you and miss you!

It's Been a While...

Wow, haven't been here in a while. This semester has definitely been a busy one, but I'm so relieved that it's almost over. I finished my last big project yesterday and can thankfully coast through the rest of the week. AND, I don't have any finals! First time I can say that!

Classes were definitely tougher than I had anticipated at the start of the semester. It has also been a roller coaster ride emotionally and that has taken its toll. Some very tough spiritual questions and situations have pushed me out of my comfort zone, but God has definitely pulled me through and I think I am stronger because of it. It's always hard to confront the deeper heart issues behind sin, but this semester has been good as far as learning to approach my relationship with God in a more honest way than I ever have before. My goals for winter break center around spending quality time in prayer with God and truly seeking to know Him more. I usually fall into old habits when I'm at home, so I'm really hoping that I will fight against that tendency.

I also hope to get into more of a routine with writing on this blog. One thing I learned in class this semester about teaching writing to kids is that I have to be a writer myself and take it seriously. I can't expect to know what I'm talking about as a teacher if I haven't experienced the process myself! So here's to forming new habits, both spiritually and academically in preparation for my future.