Andddd the Roller Coaster Continues!

"Transition. It's a real tough thing, especially when it's for the first time."  -Kenny Chesney


Transition. Or transitions, rather. That is exactly what my first year living here in Arkansas has been all about!  A whole lot of them.  And they certainly have been TOUGH!  Above is actually not a song, just a very fitting quote for me.

Now, I am well into my second semester of my first year of teaching (which is crazy hard to believe!). I feel like some days I am doing all I can to get through the day while others I feel like I am a pro and have everything together.  That's. first year for ya, on top of the fact I feel like mine started out crazy to begin with.  I say all of this, not because it's a bad thing, but because I think I am getting one of the best experiences possible, considering the circumstances!  I try really hard to find the positive in everything I do, even though I do have my emotional moments took

I'm beyond proud of my students, and everyday I hear things about them, get compliments for them, or even hear them say things that make me proud.  Just the other day another teacher told my assistant how impressed she was by how polite my students were when they came to her computer class, and that they always say please and thank you.  Even at lunch my kids try and day things like "may you open this ketchup please Miss Mackay?"  I am so proud of them when I hear them using manners, and when I see how well they CAN (because we have our bad days too) act in the hall compared to other classes all through the school!

I'm learning a lot from them, and my excitement and anger and love and frustration for education grows daily.  I still do a lot of thinking when it comes to potentially being a principal in a school; though that's still a ways a way, if I choose to do that.

Now to change subjects- my reign of bad luck, and doing what I'm doing down here in spite of all the curve balls I keep getting, is still going strong... =(. These past two weeks I had the unfortunate luck of getting some kind of cold!  We all know how much I HATE going to the doctor, but I did break down and go Friday because my ear had finally started bothering me so much.  I got three different prescriptions and spent a lovely $60+ dollars between meds/copay.  I alsooooo decided this last Monday to get my oil changed, tires rotated, and my tires aligned, another 109.00.... (Boo!). ONLYYYYY to have my Jeep decide it was time to not move on with me =(. My transmission is a goner now, along with the fact I'm now not driving myself anywhere! I'm not looking forward to the repair cost/ or a possible new car... Neither were in the budget, butttttt I knew it would happen at some point.  Obviously I will figure it out and make something work- though it figured this would happen! Of course every possible thing that can go wrong with moving away from everyone you know has happened to me!!! You would think whoever keeps giving me all this bad luck would realize I'm not going anywhere!!!


On the bright side of things, and saving the best for last, I really have met some wonderful people down.  You've all heard about some of the friends I've made, and that I get along pretty well with everyone at my school. Soooo that had worked out in my favor for all this craziness!  I also mentioned a while back that a guy had asked me to dinner.  That guy, Will, has turned out to be pretty wonderful as well!  He has been more than supportive and helpful this weekend with my mess of a self, and aside from that, is just pretty great period.  I know Grandma, you're waiting on a picture!  I really did take one this weekend, but it didn't turn out good, so I will get another one for you soon!

Hope you're all doing well! Miss you!!