Back and Fabulous!

I have been on hiatus, but I am back and lovin' it!

I went to go visit my sister in Seattle and it was wonderful having a week with her and the little family that she's created. I really can't wait for them to come and visit at Christmas :) So ready for the Gunn family to be all together again.
This is the first week back to school and it was GREAT to see the students and have them welcome me back and say one of 3 things 1) I missed you SO much Miss Gunn 2) Nice haircut Miss Gunn 3) quick hug and a shy smile, I realized how much I love my job and that I really fit in teaching. I do have to say though, the reality of teaching and the image that I had in my head before I started are not the same-but that's ok, I'm learning a LOT and it feels only a LEETLE weird that I'm not a student myself.
My reading group has just started their project and they seem motivated and excited to be doing something so creative, and honestly I like giving them that creative option. They also are enjoying "Bridge to Terabithia" more because they are deeper into the story and the details and have become "friends" with the characters. It's great stuff.
I hope that God blesses you with all good things and keep reading/commenting-Thanks!

The Countdown Begins...

After this week is over my school will be on it's Fall Break and I can tell that the kids are r-e-a-d-y for it! They are counting down the days (I have to say I am as well.) Honestly though the students are showing me that they can make great choices and it makes me feel so much better about what they can accomplish! The kindergarten group that I normally help was all on GREEN today (meaning good behavior) excepting 2 students. That's pretty good! I can also tell that the students are listening more because if I ask them to make better choices, for the most part they respond right away instead of seeing how far they can push. This also includes the first grade group that I teach after school.

 I am very ready for Fall Break for the following reasons:
1) I would like a good long day where NOTHING is planned and I do whatever I feel like and not feel guilty!
2) I will get to see my sister and her little family
3)I will come back refreshed and revived for a new quarter!

I also want to say that I am loving taking pictures with my new camera and that the Crosswalk Church Picnic was a LOT of fun! Prayers would be appreciated as I am trying to get through this last week before a break!
Thanks :)

It's all in the way you THINK!!

So I've realized over the last couple of days that I have a horrible habit....what habit you ask? Our dearest Audrey doesn't have any horrible habits(!) you insist. You would be wrong.
My most horrible habits of habits is this: I come home in the evening and my mom & dad will ask how my day went and I will tell them about how this or that kid has just driven me crazy because they were making some very poor choices. It usually is a student that I'm working with in the Aftercare program and not in the regular schoolday. The Aftercare program is about two hours of my day, why would I make whole day horrible if it was really just the two hours that were a little rough? It just doesn't seem very fair.

So here is me telling you that I LOVE my job and I'm trying to think more positively about the GOOD things in it! Please pray for my mental and physical strength, but also for me to just enjoy each day for what it is, a gift of God that can never be relived.
In the spirit of my new positive thinking habit Bible study tonight was interesting and it was good to just meet with other adults and have good spiritual conversations and know that they are being challenged with things as well, something we can all relate and help with.
Also totally not related but I want to thank all the men out there who are friends of mine that show that chivalry is not dead even in this modern age! Kudos to you!

There, two positive thoughts for my one negative one! :)

The S. S. Miss Gunn

So I know I haven't written in a while, but I've been sick and nothing interesting has come into my life that it is worth to report to people who are not commenting!! (ahem! hint hint!)
Just kidding, I actually have just been very busy with the day to day school work and then I was sick this week with a cold-I tried to push through without taking days off, but I ended up taking 2!
This being said I have a fun teacher day to report:
So apparently the copier guy was coming to fix the copier and since that's really a big portion of my job on Friday's I had an interesting day. Thankfully my kids at lunch behaved fairly well and the afternoon of computer math program went well. (I'm doing all of this while trying to get over a cold.) I also take care of 1st graders in a aftercare program, Friday's they don't have homework to do and so we have them participate in different "centers" instead. One of the centers has whiteboards and markers and one of the students made a big boat drawing by putting two whiteboards together. She then came and showed me her wonderful artistic talent and I asked if she had named her boat. "Boats have names??" "Yes they do." She thought about it for a while and came back with her boat named the "S. S. Miss Gunn" this made me laugh so hard that I had her show the rest of the class and then the other students proceeded to name other drawings after me! :)
There was also a Play-Dough center and students were creating culinary masterpieces for me to consume...it's wonderful to see them all come together to create a "restaurant" with yummy "foods" and "chicken soup" to help me feel better.

Weekend Wanderings

Over the three day weekend I cleaned up my room and made it more "mine." Books on the bookshelf, boxes tucked away etc. On Saturday I slept in, though not a lot, I can't seem to sleep past 8 anymore! I read a book for a while and then went over to my friend Emily's house.
Emily and I have been friends since the 4th Grade and it's so nice to be able to hang out with her on a regular basis again! We vegged around the house and then on Sunday I went to my old church and realized that some things had changed, but there was still an amazing sameness about it too. I saw some old friends and went out to lunch with them which was wonderful! Sharing stories of grade school and high school was hilarious and brought back some great memories.
On Monday I was able to go shopping with Emily and my mom and I got all kinds of great deals. I was able to busy some more teacher clothes that are appropriate for AZ heat! :P.
I'm glad I don't have to deal with snow and ice anymore!

As for school news I don't really have a whole lot except that things are going smoothly and the kids seem to be working well with me. I would like to ask that you pray for the technology to start working, because without it our Accelarated Math program isn't happening as it should.
God is amazingly good and continues to reassure me that He is watching out for my good!
COMMENTS WELCOME!

Kickin' it Financial Peace style

So I was paid on Monday instead of on Friday like I thought- my mistake not theirs(!) and I figured out my budget, paid my bills and still had money to buy a plane ticket to go and visit my sister and her little family in Washington. I am VERY excited about this! My mom and I found this GREAT deal :) Anyway, I also can pay my parents a little bit of rent, which is nice because now I can contribute and pay off my loans too! woohoo.
That being said, I feel like I'm missing something, like even though I thought out (and re-thought out) my budget something is going to go wrong somewhere-but maybe I just need to "let go and let GOD handle it."

Change of topic, but I am very glad that it is Thursday tomorrow, because it means that Friday is one day closer and that soon a 3 day weekend will be upon me. I am looking forward to a break and a rest.

I have one story about my kids that I wanted to share and then I'm going to head to bed: I have students that I know are generally good, but that every once in a while just break out into madness! They get really upset, they argue, they push and I have to say that at first it bugged me (and inside it still does a little) but it is amazing to me how calm I sound when I am explaining to them the consequences of their actions. Even to those kids that are pushing my buttons all the time-I'm so totally calm sounding! It's strange and amazing all at the same time :)
Goodnight
comments please :P 

So, it's Sunday Night....

So it's Sunday night and I'm trying to get pumped up for the coming week, but all I can think about is that each week makes me feel so tired. Also the fact that we will find out the fate of our aftercare tomorrow is a little disconcerting and puts me on edge. We have been working for weeks to get the licensing and everything in order and tomorrow is D-Day, so to speak. Please keep in your prayers my friend who is running the aftercare program right now as she has taken a GREAT leap of faith and may not have a job after tomorrow.
On another note I watched the movie "Amazing Grace." What does this have in common with the aftercare program? Good question! In the movie a man finds out that the slave trade it Britain is so bad that he feels HE needs to put a stop to it. He dedicates his life and his health to the cause and again and again tries to get a bill passed in Parliament. He finally achieves his goal after many years and his joy at seeing his task complete overwhelmed all the agony and work he had to go through in order to achieve his goal. In a small way I feel that aftercare having to wait for the decision for a few weeks has been our time of waiting on the Lord to see what HIS plan is. We may still have more work to do. Or He may grant that the faith based aftercare can continue.
Prayers please