Today I turn 34! Today I fully expect, my co-workers to gawk at my age, my students to have no clue that it is my birthday, my husband to cook dinner and my kids to smother me in hugs and kisses. I want to celebrate my 34th turn around the sun and get back to my chatty roots. Today is about me, so I am going to talk about me!
I Can’t Quit School!
I started my 10th year of teaching and 20th year in a high school last week. I started as a 9th grade student in 1998, graduated in 2002 and immediately started working as a cheerleading coach, then a tutor, then a para. From there I got my teaching license and the rest is history. When I meet new people they are always a bit shocked when I tell them that I teach High School science. I like to watch their faces when they learn that, because I guess I don’t look like the typical science teacher. I get it, I am also not the typical science teacher, so that is fair. I wasn’t good at science in high school, but something clicked in college and I found my passion. I love it because there is always something new happening and I am always learning more!
Something I do that Drives People NUTS
I cannot sit still or keep quiet. Even at 34 I have just as much ADD as I did in elementary school. My teachers (who read this, and I am so thankful for) can vouch for that. I have learned to combat that by multitasking. I am almost always doing about 6 things at once. I have to keep ‘to do lists’ and check them off and I drive my colleagues nuts because I seriously am always typing or writing or moving. I am working on those skills which, I honed in college to avoid talking through lectures and getting in trouble with my professors.
What Gets me in Trouble!
I am really freaking honest. I will tell you how it is, I do not like secrets, I do not like shady business and I will be the first to call you out on your crap. I have worked on this because I can be very offensive at times and my filter is thin. I was just raised to be honest and sometimes that can get me in trouble. You know what else gets me in trouble…my potty mouth. Try as I might, those words just fall out of my mouth like butter. I am working on this too…sometimes.
Guilty Pleasures
I can watch TV all day and I prefer to have the background noise. There is no shame to my Netflix binge game. Often, when the kids go to bed, the husband and I grab a pint of Ben and Jerry’s and watch ridiculous “reality” TV. We are really into history and mystery stuff right now, but come September, Shondaland has us on lock. However, you can bet that if Loralai Gilmore and Rory are on, I will be watching that over anything else. Love the GG’s!
My Music Taste
I am a true child of the 80s, but when it comes to music, I was raised on boy bands. I just realized what my taste in music is as I was working through burning all my CD’s onto my iTunes account. It is basically N’SYNC, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and TLC. I currently have a small obsession with Ed Sheeran and I listen to him on repeat like a madman. Ed if you read this, I just need a miracle to see you in concert.
What I live For
The challenge. Ok, that is a lie. I am over all those challenges. I have had to lean on the “if God brings you to it, he will bring you through it” and “he only gives you what you can handle”, sayings far to many times. My mom will tell you that I am strong and can overcome almost anything, but I think what I live for is giving back to others and that is really the driving force behind me and my strength. I am a people pleaser and more than anything I want my kids and my students to have a better world and more knowledge to make it better than I did. I want to make a difference, even if it is only a small one and I want to help people.
Year 34 Wishes!
My hope is that year 34 of life brings more love, more communication, more peace and more positive energy. It is no secret that the last 10 years of our family’s life have been filled with loss and the depression that comes with that. I truly want this next year to be a year that we start to heal, to break out of that fog and be an even better wife, mom and teacher.
