Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium visit

Well, we went to the zoo yesterday. It was awesome!! It was not as far as I thought and we got there just after it opened. It was a Friday, so there were a lot of schools visiting, which meant that there were a bunch of little kids running around. It normally would not have phased me, but the teachers had absolutely no control over their classes.

It was a little on the expensive side, but they had so many wonderful animals. They have 5 tigers, two of which are white. An old lion who is living his last few years there, he looks like he was on his death bed which was rather sad. Some of the animals were hiding in the back, so we didn't get to see them. But, for the most part, all the animals were out and close enough for us to see right away. My all time favorite animal is a giraffe. Well, they had a family of five there!!! They also had a feeding station that puts the Phoenix Zoo's feeding station to shame! I was able to get some of the pellets and feed the giraffes. I had to wait a while, because a large group of students had just fed them. The male walked over first and I stuck my hand out. I wanted to see if he would take it out of my hand or if I was going to have to pour it on his tongue like the other people were doing. Sure enough, out came his rather long purple/black tongue and he wrapped his hand around my arm, and slowly took the food! IT WAS FREAKING AWESOME!!! I had giraffe slobber all over me, but it was totally worth it!

The aquarium was not as cool as the rest of the zoo. It had just opened, so it will probably get better as time goes on. There were a lot of baby animals all over, but the cutest was the spider monkey! I will create a slide show of all the pictures and attach it soon!

If you can read this, thank a teacher!

Like the title? I saw that bumper sticker on a car in some commercial :)

As some know, I provide habilitation for an Autistic child as a part time job on top of early intervention. This child has two younger siblings who I work with as well, just to make sure they allow me to work with the oldest. Well, the middle child is always attached to my side when I am at their home. The other night, this child was asked by the mother "why do you like Miss Kristen?" To which this child said "I like Miss Kristen because she teaches me!" Well, that statement just melted my heart. Later that night this child was getting tired and was rather irritable with the mother. While I was working with the eldest sibling I hear "I want Miss Kristen to be my mom, she lets me grow up!!" My heart basically broke because I knew the mother's heart was breaking as well. On the plus side, this child realized how the statement made the mother feel and appologized shortly after. The mother came and talked to me, asking if I heard the statement. I did not know what to say about the situation. I really felt for the mother and wish the whole situation did not happen.

Sick

Why is it when you are sick, everything seems to go wrong? It just seems to add to the fact you feel like complete crap! Well, I haven't been feeling well for the past few days, Brent has been sick with the flu. So, of course I got it! This morning I work up, feeling completely horrible so I canceled my two appointments and went into the office to pick up my paycheck. When I arrived, the administrative assistance was there but the guy who does the payroll was not and my check was not in my mailbox. So, I waited, got some copying done and in come the payroll guy. He went straight to his office and shut the door. I waited a few minutes and then knocked on his door, asking him if the paychecks were done. He told me no and he hoped to have them done by 2pm. Well, that was just fantastic. I wanted to get my check so I could pay my bills and then go back to bed. Instead, I will be home and have to go back to the office because I will not be able to pick it up tomorrow. Which also means I will not get it till Monday, and Monday being a holiday, I would not get it till Tuesday. That may not seem like a big deal but I have ALL my bills due between the 15th and 17th of the month, so getting it late is no bueno!

So, I sit at home, trying to get some things done, wishing I could just lay down and pass out for the rest of the day and not have to go back out.... so much for that idea! BUT, I did get my PRAXIS I scheduled for next Saturday.... at 7:30 AM! Oh, well... gotta love school, which I truly do :)

VACATION!!!!!

Well, Brent and I took some time off. We will be on "vacation" from Thursday January 22nd through Monday January 26th. The 26th is our 6 year anniversary and I am excited! I have planned to cook Brent, yes me cook, a 3 course meal. I got a cook book a few Christmases ago and went through it finding the perfect dinner. I am thinking I will cook it for him on Sunday night, going into our 6th year. On the 23rd we are heading to the Wildlife World Zoo & Aquarium. The aquarium part just opened in December, and I am really excited to go. I think we are going to take his mom as well, depends if she is working that Friday or not. Then the following day, Saturday, we might go on a snow run with my parents in their Jeep. I think it will be a lot of fun, but I don't know if we will be awake enough to get over to their place early enough and not sure if we want to bundle up to survive. Brent is a wimp and so am I!!! I am just looking forward to having some time off of work. I wish I didn't have to worry about school, but that is what I get for going into my master's. I am doing all that week's work this week, so I can do as little as possible during our vacation!!!

Well, that is all for now!!

Troubled Student Story

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big 'F ' at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... He is a joy to be around..'

His second grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle.'

His third grade teacher wrote, 'His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken..'

Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, 'Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class.'

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, 'Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to.'

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour.. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her 'teacher's pets..'

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.

Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors.. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, 'Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference.'

Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, 'Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you.'

(For you that don't know, Teddy Stoddard is the Doctor at Iowa Methodist in Des Moines that has the Stoddard Cancer Wing.)

Warm someone's heart today. . . pass this along. I love this story so very much, I cry every time I read it. Just try to make a difference in someone's life today? tomorrow? just 'do it'.

Random acts of kindness, I think they call it!

9 more months....

Well, for those who know the wedding date, today is the 9 month mark till it happens. Which means I am starting to freak out a little. We have the date, the location and my dress... that is all. Oh, and my mom and I decided on the party favors, we will be making them ourselves. We still need the DJ, photographer, food, bar tender, bridesmaid dresses, Brent's attire as well as his grooms men, and um.... I am sure I am forgetting something... Basically, I need to get cracking. Time has been flying by and before I know it, it will be October 10th, and we will be celebrating our marriage! Kind of freaky, but in a good way :) LOL

Insurance Hell

Well, it seems that my migraines are back. Oh, joy! I haven't been stressed at all. In fact, I have been calmer than usual. Things have not been getting to me and I have been dealing with everything in life rather well, I think. It seems to be all in my sinuses and I am dreading going to the doctor, and here is why:

My insurance changed AGAIN, and I am not even sure what it covers anymore. It already sucked and I was paying $50 per doctors visit and between $35-65 for prescriptions. Now, I don't even know how much it is going to cost me to get my prescriptions filled. I need certain medications on a daily basis to remain healthy, and last time I had to fight to get them covered by my insurance. I really do not want to go through that again. Last time I went to see the ENT for my chronic sinus infections, he told me I needed surgery or my infections would continue due to having a deviated septum. Well, my old insurance looked at the surgery as cosmetic, meaning they would not cover it. Yes, I could fight it and get it paid for, but I just don't have the energy to deal with it. And paying $50+ for every visit, well, I can't afford that at all. I had a few tests done and I had to go back three times, meaning I paid $150 just to see the doctor and not included in any medications I needed.

So, I need to call my new insurance and get the card as well as more information on what they cover and do not cover. Brent will be getting insurance through his work come June, and once we are married I will get on his plan. He has awesome insurance so that will help, and it is cheaper than what I have now. I am paying $300 per month through my work, and it is taking a toll on me.

So, until this is all figured out, I will be taking 2-4 Advil Cold & Sinus pills every day, to hold off on being unconscious due to the pain in my head.

Poor Bruno

Well, Bruno has been aggressive the past week or so. Only towards the female dog upstairs, but still. So, we have come to the conclusion we will be getting him neutered within the next month or so. It is a little more than we can afford, but it is something that needs to be done. I refuse to have an aggressive dog, even if it is not towards everyone or everything. We are hoping he just needs this and will calm down, I mean, he has always been pretty hyper. This also means he will be getting all his shots that he needs to be up to date. I called a few places and it seems like it is going to be about $500. Oh, joy! When we are trying to save for when I student teach, we need to get this done. Oh well, that is how the world seems to work.

Life and Death

Brent and I just got back from seeing the movie The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. I did not realize going into it, that it is based off a book written by F. Scott Fitzgerald; the same writer as The Great Gatsby. I remember reading that book in high school and absolutely loving it.

For those who do not know what the movie is about, here is my short explanation: a person is born old and as he gets older, he gets younger in appearance. As time goes on he struggles with looking like an old man, but having the mind of a child and then grows younger and younger. (I wont spoil the movie for those who have not seen it, but just know it is worth seeing) Here is the original short story.

Well, as the movie went on, it showed just how important it is to live life to it's fullest. That no matter what the outcome may be, the most important thing is to make sure you are pleased with the decisions you made. That life is full of disappointments and death, but also pleasure and life. You watch those you love pass on but also get to enjoy the times before their passing. All I can do is hope that I live the life I want, and when the time comes for me to pass, I can be truly happy with the life I have given to myself.

Six Years!

WOW!

I cannot believe that on January 26th, 2009, Brent and I will have been together for SIX YEARS! It is amazing how he still gives me butterflies. How his simple touches make my heart race, how we are so incredibly goofy around each other, but truly know when to be serious. We have grown so much over these past six years, at times it was difficult, but in the end we were stronger as a couple due to the issues we faced and dealt with.

I think about where I was six years ago, and it is hard. It is hard to remember my life before him. You can take that as you want, but I feel like I have known him my entire life. That somewhere inside, we knew each other long before we actually met. Cheesy; possibly, true; for sure. I met him at the age of 18, started dating him at the age of 19. I was a sophomore in college and working full time. We made the weekends ours, either racing our cars (illegally) or drinking Jager. Yes, we have been drinking that FOREVER! So, screw you people who just started! I contribute my addiction to it, all to Brent!

Come May of this year, we will have lived together for 5 years. MoJo will be 5 in May as well, and Bruno 5 in December! It is so weird to think we have had them almost as long as we have been together! They have been our children and truly pains in our asses! But, what can you do! Gotta love our animals.

The years have come and gone. There have been some tremendous loses and gains. We have worked through certain things no couple should have to face. There were times when we wanted to give up, when we didn't feel like going on. Yet, we always pulled through, talking through our issues, crying through a few.

So *cheers* to the years to come and our wedding this October!