Ready or not, here they come!

I've survived my first week of teaching preschool! It was the craziest week I think I've ever had. So many meetings and so much to do before school started on Wednesday. I had to set up my room, get lesson plans together, buy tons of stuff, find out lots of information. Then the kids came and it was even more chaos! My kids are so small and they can't do anything on their own! I'd forgotten how different kids are from 3 years old to 8 years old! I look at the kindergarteners in our school and they seem huge! My kids are adorable though and say the funniest things. They are just learning how to act at school, though, so that's the biggest challenge-- teaching them to stand in line, sit on carpet, put away toys, share, listen to the teacher, follow directions! It's tough! Everything is new to them. I'm really enjoying it so far though. I just hope I can get more sleep and not feel so rushed and like there's so much to do all the time.

I also moved apartments since I was living on the southeast side of Columbus all summer and my school is on the north side. I found a cute 1 bedroom townhouse about 10 minutes from school that I am really happy with, but have barely spent any time in so far! I've been at school for 12 hours or more a day so far. The apartment was a little more expensive than I was planning on and I have a lot of stuff to buy for it- furniture-wise. So, that's a bummer. But, hopefully in time I'll be able to collect some things. Maybe every month I'll get one more big item I need (couch, TV, vacuum cleaner, dressers, dining room table, washer and dryer...). Right now I'm anxious to get internet set up.

I'm feeling pretty blessed though. I have a good teaching job, a nice place to live, my parents only 3 hours away and 2 brothers only 1 hour away. And I got to watch A LOT of the Olympics, more than I expected, which I really enjoyed. Now it's over for another 4 years...

Olympics

It's 8-8-08, so that means....the Olympics start today!! I am so excited even though no one else seems to be! To me the Olympics are what March Madness, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, (and whatever the baseball equivalent is) are to other people. But mine only comes every 4 years, so it's even more exciting. I just think all the countries coming together in one place is just really beautiful and just plain cool, even if they are competing against one another. It's not because I lived in China that I'm excited since I didn't even see any Olympic venues and I don't even like the country (I did see plenty of merchandise though and that was almost 2 years before). I just think the Olympics are so interesting and are such a phenomenon in and of themselves. But...I guess that's just me since I have yet to meet one person as excited as I am. haha.

Someone asked me during the last Olympics who I cheer for (since they knew I wasn't very patriotic). It's a good question and I think it has changed a little because my level of patriotism has fluctuated quite a bit in the past 2 years. But, I guess if all these countries were competing in the same event my choices would be: #1 Philippines, #2 Thailand, #3 Taiwan, #4 USA (but mostly because America wins a lot and I like to cheer for the underdogs). Philippines always trumps all, but Thailand and Taiwan are hard to choose between, actually. But if it's other countries and the USA, I would cheer for the US. :)

Miracle!

I don't know if it counts as a miracle, but the big news is that I got a job! I actually got it a week ago and completely forgot to update my blog until now. It just blows my mind that I was in such despair in my last post and then BOOM! God answers my pleas! Actually, writing my last 2 posts and spending some time with God really helped change my attitude and I felt excited about whatever God had in store for me next. And then, I interviewed with Worthington Christian Schools and got a job offer. I'll be a preschool teacher in their new Early Childhood Center, teaching 3 year olds! School starts the 20th and orientation and stuff starts on Thursday, so it's happening quick, as I figured it probably would (if it happened at all). So, I spent this week looking at apartments near the school since I will have to move at the end of this month. Hopefully soon I can meet with the other preschool teachers, look at the curriculum and try to figure out what in the world I'm doing! I'm really nervous because I've never taught this age before and am so used to kids who can at least write their names! This will be quite the adventure. My only experience with preschool has been 4 and 5 year olds VBS and Sunday School and my interactions with 3 year olds has been pretty limited to my cousins' kids and a few other random kids.

But, I am extremely excited about this and just very, very relieved to have a job and to know I will be making enough to live on and hopefully have some to save as well. This school was actually my first choice school all along, but I just never expected to be in the preschool department. The school is very good and well-known, loves Cedarville grads, and seems to have a strong sense of community. It's connected to the Grace Brethren Church. It's in the more wealthy part of Columbus which the way things worked out is kinda funny to me. So, my days as a blue-collar worker are winding down (3 days left!) and I'm about to start another adventure.