striving to be perfect...

My step-mom thinks I'm too much of a perfectionist.  Which she's true. But I know I need to work on it!  I hate being a young professional because I make mistakes- and I'm not used to that!  I've always been good at things and never do anything wrong. Now it's impossible to be a perfect teacher ever- let alone your first few years. But I still beat myself up over my mistakes!  I need to work on that. It's normal to not be perfect!  :)

This is from a talk from Elder Cecil O. Samuelson (2002, MTC and printed in the New Era- read it here)

Doing Your Best	Perfectionism
You desire to give things your best efforts and are satisfied when you do.	You have a list of “shoulds” and “have to’s” and are dissatisfied even if you complete them.
You know it’s okay if you make a mistake. You move on and see your mistake as an opportunity for growth or learning.	Mistakes bring feelings of self-hatred. You don’t want to do anything because you are afraid of failure.
You want to do your personal best, and you try not to compare your achievements to those of others. You don’t need to be the best at all things.	You feel tremendous pressure to earn others’ approval. You must be the best or “perfect” in your tasks.
You can find joy in doing the things you love, and you can get things accomplished.	Your need to do things perfectly leads to procrastination until you have time to do it “perfectly,” and you feel driven by fear or duty instead of love.
Trying to do your best and perfecting yourself “line upon line” with the Savior’s help is Christ-centered because you need the Atonement.	Perfectionism is self-centered. You measure yourself against your own standards and against others’ standards, not God’s.

Mac vs. the Plastic Bag

Mac Wallet

New favorite Mac application- Wallet.  I can keep all of credit cards, serial numbers, bank info, web passwords and accounts all organized!  You can make your own categories (I added magazines, banks, doctors, etc).  AWESOME!  Plus it's password protected.  I love being that organized. Plus you can add cute little icons of your different things. :)  

I added serial numbers for all my stuff- macbook, camera, ipod, piano keyboard, etc.  Super organized!

http://www.acrylicapps.com/wallet/

Wedding Hair

So I am no pro at hair, especially since mine is short. So here's a style I saw a few weeks ago that I rather like!  It's simple and sweet.  

But, Tammy's gonna do my hair no matter what so I'm not too worried. She'll make me bea-ut-i-ful!

Yes. I picked photos from Scrubs- the Janitor and Lady's wedding.  lol. 

TAKS testing time!

This week is the end-all-be-all for high schoolers.  Well, juniors anyways.  The seniors hopefully passed last year and actually get to sleep in and come to school around 11:30 for 4 days. Nice.  The rest of the school- and teachers- get to be in testing mode and get totally burnt out for those 4 days.  We start by getting our materials at 6:45 then set up for the kids (I have 12 testing with me).  Then they get to test and remain perfectly quiet (only allowed to sleep or read a book) until around 11:30 when the school is done testing.  It's hard to monitor kids testing for 4 hours!  I'm planning on getting breakfast and a diet coke in the morning!!!  Then after testing we still have to teach two periods and have lunch way late.  The kids especially do not want to learn after testing (I don't blame them)...but I have a lot to teach them!  I'm gonna try to do a lab since that at least gets them out of their seats.  

Benefits of TAKS- I get to do personal tutoring (for $25-30/hr) and also teach Saturday TAKS camps for the same rate!  

Downfalls- staring at kids taking tests. I can't read or do anything while they're testing. Stamina!  Thinking about a to-do list I can't do anything about!  I don't even get a conference period ALL week. blah.

Let the testing begin...

of pianos and getting pulled over

I love to laugh at my life!

I have dinner with my friend (hooray for Red Robin!) then go to Institute. Then I offer to help Dan, Jordan, and Bryant work on their musical number (since I sorta play the piano).  So we're in the chapel practicing and my phone is on the piano, then it gets knocked inside of it!  Hands could not get my phone out (even little kid hands- we tried).  The boys went into 'rescue mode' and tried every angle and idea they could think of (even found bbq skewers and tape to try to use...).  Then I went and got my car kit (full of screw drivers, flashlights, etc). Jordan tried unscrewing the key lid and found out that it just slides out. There was my phone. Just a sliding of a piece away the whole time.  Our efforts took a good half hour. Thanks, fellas!

I got a banana shake at the sonic near my house on the way back. Then as I am driving down my street, about to turn into my complex, I get pulled over!  Apparently my headlights weren't on. I thought they were!  And then I shut off my car to see if they were working (but little did I know- or the officer???- that since my car was off the lights wouldn't be on (even though the dash ones were)). I was confused. He said I'd get a ticket, but I didn't. I have no clue why. And then I drive off and my lights ARE on. What?  I'm so confused.  

pianos and getting pulled over. goodness. 

Funny Videos

Kittens Inspired by Kittens

soooooooo funny. I laugh everytime I see it!

David after Dentist

Kid who's quite out of it. :)

The Gum Tree

What an awesome dad!!!! I want a chocolate tree! :)

Pop Rocks and Coke

Same family from the gum tree video. haha.

making it

I had a lot of crap thrown at my fan in the last two weeks at school. But it's calming down now. Thank goodness. I couldn't take much more! It's TAKS blitz time- so all we do is taks prep for two weeks then we have the week of tests. Then all pressure is off (Taks is the epitome of the year).

Now I'm trying to gear up for Cali- get in shape and be ready to have an awesome summer!

My apartment is now yellow outside! They finally painted. Bright. Cheery.

Rich Teachers

Yes, it's true that teachers don't get paid as much as most people even though our job is important, time consuming, and something that not everyone could do (anyone wanna teach physics? yeah, didn't think so). But, I find that I am not in the least bit inhibited by my salary! I have zero credit card balance, my student loans are almost paid off (they will be this summer), my car has been paid off for a couple years now, I own everything in my apartment, and I have nice things. And I've earned it all. My assets just keep increasing month to month! I am glad for parents who taught me how to live well off of a modest salary. My parents were amazing in how they saved money and spent it. I never ever went without. They bought me my own bassoon for goodness-sake! They have taught me well.

It is possible to be a rich teacher. :)

(not to forget being non-monetarily rich for the work we do)

NASA job!!!!!!!

I got the summer job I wanted!!! NASA INSPIRE is a program for high schoolers to intern at NASA sites. I get to help out at the JET PROPULSION LABORATORY! (JPL for short). It's in Pasadena, California! What a treat! I get to be there ALL summer!!!!!!!!!!! The kids have to work and I chaperone them on off-work hours. Room-board-flights-gas-car-fun activities---the whole shabang. And $9000. Dang! I have to train in Oklahoma for a week right after school is out then my stint in Cali starts June 22nd (8 weeks).

I am so happy! What an experience that'll be.

Anyone want to babysit my cat for 2 months? He needs people to be around!