Take 2! lots of updating!

So, I posted forever ago saying how I've neglected my blog and was back and all that. Obviously, you can see how well that went :) So let's try this again!

I ended up getting a cold that wiped my out and I literally came home everyday from work and just practically went to bed. I was so tired and not feeling well and needed to get better since I didn't want to have to take any days off of work. I had no energy for anything. But I am now all caught up on reading blogs, even if I didn't comment, I have read everything I missed!

So since I've been MIA I should probably have a lot of update on, right? Haha, not quite. Let's just say my life isn't all that interesting or exciting. But, I'll update on some of the more fun and important things going on in my life!

• Everything with my sailor is going great (or as great as it can be 700+ miles away). He's doing extremely well in Power School and I am so beyond proud of him! Even with me having been sick and in bed early and him having extremely long days of class where he doesn't get home until after 1800, we've been extremely understanding of each other, especially me of him, knowing that he needs time to unwind and relax before he goes to bed. He often comes home and then 2 hours or so later goes to sleep, so he doesn't often get a lot of down time at the end of the day. In the past (waaay before the Navy, while I was still at school and he was home) if we didn't talk a lot or either of us wanted to relax or whatever, we used to get annoyed and then get into stupid, ridiculous, immature fights over it. However, as we've grown and matured both as individuals and together, we don't do that anymore. Even my mom said that she was really proud of the way I was handling not getting to talk to him all that often during the week (since she's seen how we were and how it is now, she's a good judge!). I'm really proud of the both of us for being so understanding with everything, I knew we both had to be and it's so nice to see how much we've both grown! 

• He's coming up on his one year in the Navy. HOLY CRAP! Where did this past year go!? I still can't believe it's almost been a year. He left for boot camp on November 4th (well, he swore in on November 3rd so that was the last day I got to talk to him). I'll post more about that day, and leading up to it, on the year mark. I just can't believe it's already been a year!

• I put together a Halloween/one year in the Navy care package for my sailor. I hope to mail it out Monday (and also hope he doesn't see this post until after he gets it-since he sometimes reads my blog when he gets a chance to). Anyway, it's really cute and one side has a cut out of a pumpkin and ghost on the box flap with all Halloween candy, a plastic pirate flask (yay dollar store lol) and the game where you pegs set up on this block and you have to jump the pegs to get rid of them, and depending on the # left determines how something you are (I wanna say smart but I don't think that's it and I also don't think the way I explained the game was all that great but o well!)-again, thanks dollar store! Then the other side as a red and white star and a blue anchor glued on the box flap. On that side I'm sending him volume 3 of Family Guy, the movie Hunt for Red October (he's reading the book and has been saying he wants the movie), a thing of goldfish (the food, not real fish lol), Support Our Troops Hershey Kisses and homemade chocolates shaped like the American flag and the Navy seal. I also have 2 cards to send him, one for Halloween and one Navy related. I honestly feel like I've been working on this box for about a month! Next up is his Thanksgiving box which I've also been thinking about. He won't be home (seriously not happy about it and just wish Christmas would get here already) so I have a really cute idea! But, I'm not going to post it until later so if I don't ruin the surprise for him!

• So all of my updates so far have been about my sailor and this one is too in a way. Just something cute and funny my mom said to me. We were shopping and saw this really cute coat that she told me I had to try on, even though I really don't need another one. Let's just say, I have a slight addiction to really cute coats, I have faaaar too many! Anyway, I tried it on and feel in love and when I said I didn't really want to spend the money, she told me she would buy it for me. Her reasoning was that it's too cute to pass up, I'm Michael's (my sailor) girlfriend and future Navy wife I have to make sure I always look good on his arm! I thought it was just a really cute thing to say plus her saying things like that always reassures me that she supports me in everything and that even though it will be hard to move away, she understands why I want to. She really is the best!

• So even though my sailor and I have been together 5 years in January, we've never actually spent Christmas together (well, the actual day anyway). Not really important as to why, at least not anymore. And then last year he was in boot camp over Thanksgiving, my birthday, Christmas AND New Year's so there was NO way that was going to happen! But this year, we are going to spend it together. Christmas Eve is really big with my family so we are going to spend it with my family. Then we're going to stay at my house, open presents with my mom and grandfather Xmas morning then spend Christmas Day with his family. It makes me sad to not be spending Xmas day with my family, but I know it's possibly the first of many and I want him to spend part with mine so it's only fair that we part with his and I want to celebrate with his family as well since they are going to be mine one day soon. We also know that this could be his last Christmas home (and mine!) and possibly our last together for awhile so in our minds, that means spending it together, no matter what. I already told my mom (and although she is a little sad, which is obviously to be expected) she is completely supportive and understanding. Yay I love her!

•  A few weeks ago, after talking to his mom, my sailor told me that she said something to him along the lines of "if he doesn't become an officer, he's not living up to his potential or what she expects him to be/do". Not only did that seriously upset me but it hurt my sailor. He said he knows his mom loves and supports him (and I know she does too) but it's not something he needs to hear or deserves to hear. What he is doing is amazing and I am so proud of him. He has considered becoming an officer but doesn't know if it is what he really wants to do so he hasn't gone through the steps yet. Maybe she doesn't really feel that way or meant it that way (his grandfather was an officer in the Army so he thinks that might have something to do with her thinking), but he is going through a very difficult and tiring school and he is doing so well! He only deserves support, love and admiration for what he is doing, enlisted or officer, and doesn't need to hear thoughts like that. I always tell him how proud I am of him and he knows how special I think he is. I really do like his mom and get along really well with her, I just don't like hearing things like this. :(

• We threw a surprise bridal shower for one of the teachers on our 6th grade team. She's getting married November 7th and we wanted to throw a work shower for her. She was definitely surprised and it went really well! We also had a lot of people contribute to her gift which was great so we were able to give her a $375 gift certificate to Pottery Barn. She was thrilled! She's a great person to work with so I'm happy that her shower was such a success!

• I work with the BEST people! I got so lucky to be placed with the teachers that I did this year. They are so much fun and just so great to work with! I think I've mentioned it before, but they are so much better than the teachers I worked with last year because they are not bitter, mean and angry. And they help so much to keep me laughing and sane through all the stuff that goes on with our crazy kids! Not to mention, helps keep my mind of the fact that my sailor isn't here so that if even for the few hours I'm in school, they make it easier to get through the day. I'm seriously lucky and am really going to miss them when I eventually leave, but definitely know I'll keep in touch with them! The teacher we threw the shower for also told me that she is really happy that I am a part of their team and that she doesn't want me to ever leave! Definitely made my day!

• One of the teachers I work with has been teaching for about 30 years I think, maybe more. She is honestly one of the best teachers I have ever seen and would have loved to have been her student! I'm in her room at least once a day everyday, sometimes 2 or 3 times and I also see her throughout the day and at lunch so I have become close with her. The other day while I was in the room, I was just doing what I always do, walking around, helping any student that needed it, just being me. She walks up to me and hands me a post-it that says "You are the best!" I was so surprised and thought it was so sweet! Then at lunch she told me again how great and wonderful I am and that she hasn't seen another teacher, Special Ed, Support, etc. as good as I am. She just loves what I do and how I just know who needs what. I honestly almost cried and I couldn't thank her enough for her kind words! Coming from a teacher that is so experienced and such a great teacher means so much to me! And of course my sailor tells me that he's "glad that people are seeing in me what he has always seen in me." He also said to me that he loves that I'm a teacher because it means I'm caring, patient and want to share my knowledge with children. Damn, that boy can make me smile!

• Slight drama at work that has me slightly annoyed. There is an aide that came over with me from the school I worked in last year. She's been in the district for about 10 years or so. She's really sweet and I got along really well with her last year and we were pretty close. I don't get to see nearly as much as I did last year because of our schedules and she goes home for lunch everyday so anytime we could catch up isn't possible. Since I have become really close with the rest of the 6th grade team and spend a lot of time with them, I was asked to help plan the bridal shower I mentioned earlier. Well after my friend found out she was kind of upset that she wasn't asked to help plan it, but it wasn't intentional. She doesn't spend any time with us and the two teachers that I planned it with rarely see her, so it just didn't cross anyone's mind. She also feels that she is left out of our lunch time group and that when she's in a room no one talks to her or even acknowledges her. I understand her feelings, I do, but at the same time it annoys me. She has always been invited to come eat lunch with us by not only myself but other teachers but continually, since the 1st day of school, has not come. She chooses to isolate herself and not come around. I knew coming to a new school with a new team that I would have to "jump right in" and spend some time with these teachers and I am so happy that I did because I've made some great friends. But I knew I had to do it and I did. What bothers me is that she not only has literally ignored me since the end of last week but doesn't even look at me if I pass by her or say anything to me. When we were setting up for the shower, she just sat in the corner with the biggest "I'm just gonna sit here and not help or do anything face" that I've ever seen. Most of the people who were there first were guys who just jumped right in and did whatever to decorate. We tried to get her to help but she just sat there. It just annoys me because she is a grown woman with 3 children, all over the age of 15, but she was acting more like the 6th graders we deal with. I understand she felt left out and I'm sorry she feels that way but at the same time, I still feel like she has to take responsibility for the fact that from day one she isolated herself and distanced herself, before she ever got to know anyone. There were also a few people that didn't help plan but still brought food, helped set up, etc. She was upset she wasn't asked but neither were they, they just offered. As an adult, I feel like if you wanted to help you would have just said offered to help in any way you could. I even told her she could help and bring in food or anything. Ugh! I know I may sound bitchy will all of this, but I think it would make more sense if you were able to see it all, but I just needed to vent about it.

• Along the lines with what I just said, she also said something that honestly annoyed the heck out of me! The Social Studies teacher we work with has a last period class that needs some serious help. There are at least 5 students who need an aide/assistance and some lower students. Just overall, it's a tough class. She has a student teacher so that class always has the 2 of them and either myself, the other aide or a special ed in class support teacher. No matter the day there are ALWAYS 3 adults in the room. Well on Friday, the student teacher had to leave during lunch for a family emergency so the Social Studies teacher asked if I wouldn't mind coming into the room to help. Obviously I said yes because I knew the class. Well when the other aide walked in and saw me, she got really upset (and somewhat annoyed I think too). She kept saying do you even need me here, you obviously don't need my help, etc. Then she said what annoyed me the most, which was along the lines of "do they not trust me anymore that they need you in here too?" I honestly had to bite my tongue before I responded. I reminded her that there are ALWAYS 3 adults in the room and since the student teacher had to leave early the teacher needed an extra adult so I was obviously the choice since I'm on the 6th grade team. It's almost like now she is finding anything and everything anyone says or does as a personal attack on her and a conspiracy against her! I also found out that in one class she's not really even doing her job, so maybe it's not all in her head, but again, she has to take some responsibility for it.

I think that's all my updating for now! I talked enough for tonight, I think. Sorry I rambled so much, I guess I had more to say then I thought! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I think I'm going to start the 30 Days so it will help if I have nothing to blog about. Plus look for another (Mil)ing It Over coming soon!