Blah Day

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Some mail I received today from UNT. I’ll keep it for use in my art journals, but I’ll find something else to spend hundreds of dollars on rather than a class ring, thanks! ::laughs::

I had a mostly boring day at the F. Library. I spent an hour and a half on my “special project” of weeding out crappy/nasty/broken picture books. I’m close to finishing my FIRST half of a bookcase. Only like 20 more full bookcases to go! ::rolls her eyes:: But this should translate over very well to my Resource Management class assignments later on in the semester and it IS chipping away at the total required hours for the Practicum. So I’ll just keep on trucking. I sat in on the baby story time again. Not sure why. It was pretty similar to the last one – they just did a different book. And then I was sent down to the 1st floor for a more in-depth tour on the maker space. I seriously want to try out some of those machines at some point soon. ::chuckles::

Esmeralda (my supervisor) came out to campus for a bit. She needed to pick up the W-2 form for Megan (previous aide). And I figured while she was out on campus, I could get her to help with a pair of girls who are super “frenemies”. I’m seriously sick of their bullshit. So are their classroom teachers (whom I’ve talked to a couple of times already this year). And the school counselor doesn’t have much to offer other than what she’s been doing. So as of right now, I’ve banned them from playing together, reading together, anything of that sort during my after school program.

Brain Mush

written:  January 29

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Josey is inspecting my find from Wal-Mart. I went in after work because I needed some bubble mailers for two oils I’m mailing out and just randomly, I spotted these business card holders. I’m so happy because I’ve been trying to find some, as these are what I keep all my Starbucks cards in and my current one is about full. Granted, these don’t hold as many as the really nice ones I got from Barnes & Noble ages ago (but apparently Barnes & Noble doesn’t carry any more), but they were under $8, so I grabbed two just in case. ::chuckles::

Seriously guys, I’m already worried about my brain and the semester has only begun. ::laughs:: I’ve been all stressed out, trying to get all the reading done because I thought the 2 assignments for my Resource Management class and the 1 assignment for my Practicum class were due Friday. I skipped the FREE journaling class at the local library so I could come home and read. Turns out…the Resource Management assignments are due NEXT Friday. ::grumbles:: The good thing is, I’m ahead! But I am seriously pissed I missed the journaling class though! Seriously, y’all pray for my brain meats. It’s not looking too good for me! ::laughs::

But I totally lucked out on the Resource Management assignments. For the semester, I have to pick a library to study. The professor said that you should expect to spend a lot of time there. ::laughs:: So of course I chose the F. Library, where I’m doing my Practicum hours. Two birds, one stone bitches! That will probably make my semester worlds easier on me. I mean, I’m already having to spend 120 hours at the F. Library, so it would just be beyond stupid to NOT use it for the Resource Management class.

F. Library hours today were ok. I was on the Youth Level and manned the check in station for the “railroad play area”. Nothing too terribly crazy this time around, though it was significantly more busy. I sat in on the 3 to 5-year-old story time today. They did a puppet show to the book “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”. I’ve read the book with Liam P. – my favorite kiddo that is leaving us at the end of the month. He seriously would have loved the puppet show. ::laughs:: Then Bonnie (one of the higher ups) told me she had a project she wanted me to work on and had put a print out of the instructions on my jacket in the back. I was so excited. Until I read it. ::laughs:: I’m weeding the picture books – pulling out the ones that are damaged or gross. Sooooo exciting. But hey, at least I don’t have to interact with the public at that point and am pretty much in my own little world while I go through all these awesome books.

Sunset

written:  January 28

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Beautiful sunset I got to see from my front yard because I came home early from work. Originally, it was so I could attend a DIY Journal class at the local library. But honestly, I realized how much homework I had to do, so instead, I stayed home and did that. I only have 6 more pages to read of the three chapters. Then I can get started on the 2 assignments due for the Resource Management class on Friday.

I am still trying to figure out what my other two Practicum Objectives will be. I have no friggin’ clue. ::sighs:: I have a feeling that I’m just going to have to make some stuff up and just roll with it for the semester. I’m just glad I was smart enough to redo my schedule and do my best to keep most of my library hours to just 9 hours a week. But there are two weeks in February that I do a week of 14 hours and another week of 11 hours. But after that, it will be back to just 9 a week. Hopefully, that will allow me enough time to do my classwork plus still having some downtime.

While I was at work today, I started working on punching out paper hearts. I’m modifying an idea I saw on Facebook a while back. The meme states for every day between February 1st and February 14th, the parent is to write something they love about their child and tape it to their door. So instead, I’ve divided up my students between me and my staff – and my goal is for the staff to write one thing they like about that particular student. On February 13th, I will hang all the hearts up for the kiddos to see. And then February 14th, they will get to take them home. I am hoping that maybe this will be a bright spot for some of the kids that might just need it. plus, it will help encourage my staff to reach out and get to know some of the students that might fall between the cracks. I don’t expect my staff to be bffs with every single one of the 72 students in the program. But I can expect them to be on good terms with 13 or 14 kiddos. I did make sure to get a good mix of kiddos they are already on good terms with and ones they aren’t. I’ll be giving them their lists and their hearts tomorrow to begin working on. Hopefully we can get that all done and ready to go before the 13th. And depending on how well it goes over, it may go into the binder of ideas to do.

Jess mentioned today that she may end up being back next semester as well. With the amount of tests she has to do before mid-May, and the way they space everything out, she may not be able to get them all done in time to begin student teaching in the Fall. If so, then she’ll be back at the after school program until she can do her student teaching in the Spring. I did inquire if she had thought about being a campus leader that semester. It would give her an added pay bump. And if I am not coming back in the Fall, I would certainly feel so much better about it if she were leading the campus for a bit. But, if I can’t get a full time library job, then I plan to stay at the after school program and get a part time library job. I cannot afford to lose my health insurance. So until I can get a full time (and benefits) job, I will hold onto the after school gig. I just really hope I can get a full time library job and not have to do that. But it’s always good to have a backup plan.

Tarzan

written: January 27

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Ringo (one of my Mom’s dogs) showing how to PROPERLY enjoy Winston’s dog bed (my Mom’s other dog).

I had a lovely Sunday morning, chit-chatting with my Mom before getting on the road around 1 pm. I needed to get back so I could start working on this week’s assignments. Luckily, the road was open –there was serious construction yesterday which had it shut down to one-lane, but thankfully they weren’t working on Sunday – and for the most part, people weren’t driving like they had warrants out for their arrest, so I was able to do the speed limit (and a little over) for the bulk of the drive.

David treated us to dinner at the Cracker Barrel. And we watched The Legend of Tarzan on Vudu. All in all a good way to spend the evening.

Falconry Expo

written: January 26

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My favorite shot from the Falconry Expo – this is a young male Red-Tailed Hawk. It wasn’t quite as full as I was expecting, but all in all, I had a good time. I got some amazing shots of various birds of prey. Seriously, if I had the free time, the money, and the space, I would totally look into apprenticing under a Master Falconer to get my own raptor. ::smiles:: But as of right now, I have NONE of that, so no falconry for me at this point in my life.

I should have brought my Resource Management book with me, so I could do some reading this evening at my Mom’s. But I didn’t even think about it until I was already at her house. ::chuckles:: Oh well. I’m still trying to get back into the swing of the semester. Guess I will be playing catch up this week. Gotta get the reading done so I can do the assignments!

I got a flash of insight on my drive down to my lil hometown (it’s a 3.5-hour drive). I had a dream a while back in which I was given an incense to banish my Psycho Ex from my life. I even researched the herbs I was shown in the dream and found out that they are indeed used for banishing. I even found the herbs on eBay. But never got around to BUYING them and actually creating the incense. So of course, he still pops up in my dreams from time to time. And with me basically ignoring a GIFT like that…no wonder I’m feeling a bit disconnected from my Path.

And I got a flash of insight on something else to add to the incense. I plan to make a decent amount and use it for any banishing I need to do. I will add a tooth or a claw or a bone from a skunk, just to increase the “repelling” potency of the incense. So next paycheck, I’ll be purchasing the required herbs and a mortar and pestle. Hopefully I can find some skunk bones/teeth/claws fairly cheap and a glass bottle like what I have pictured in my head that I want to keep the incense in. And then I’m going to get to work on this incense. Once I get that done, you better believe I will be banishing the shit out of my Psycho Ex. I want all of his residue GONE. Hopefully this will also banish the anti-spirituality fog I’ve been in for quite some time now.

A Good Friday

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An awesome Imbolc card from Paper – a blogging buddy.

The kiddos were happy to have me back today at the after school program. I did get some seriously shitty news – Liam, one of my absolute FAVORITE students, is withdrawing from the program. January 31st is his last day. I am seriously bummed about that, but am enjoying him while we still have him.

I actually started making serious headway on the “Care and Feeding of <name of the elementary school we are based at> Program“ today. Jess told me that yesterday there were some minor issues with how things are run and whatnot. So much of it is just in my head that when I’m not there, they aren’t 100% sure about it. So I’ve started writing down notes today about various things, starting with the things they had some issues with.

I also broke up the kids as evenly as I could among the staff. Monday, I will give each staff member their list and tell them that for February/Valentine’s Day, I would like for them to write 1 thing they really like about each of the students on their list. We’ll write these on hearts that I’ll punch out of construction paper. We’ll hang them up on the windows and on Valentine’s Day the kids will be allowed to take their heart home. I’m doing one for Liam that I’ll give him on his last day with us.

I plan to write out the directions for the heart thing and will put into the Care & Feeding book, along with any other “traditions” we do. Such as bats for October/Halloween. Footballs for Superbowl time. And information on where I get the Chinese New Year mural we do each year (which, I need to buy this year’s mural soon). My goal is to have it all written up, printed out on nice paper, and in a binder by the end of the school year. Wish me luck on that! ::laughs::

I got a KICK ASS idea while I was writing my letter to Wendy about a possible Practicum goal. I would LOVE to put together a Postcrossing meet up, a LetterMo meet up, a pen pal meet up, and/or a journaling meet up at the library. I mean, how awesome would it be to bring together people who enjoy that as well like 3 or 4 times a year? Well, the LetterMo one would happen in just February most likely, but the others could be more often. So I’m thinking one of my Practicum goals is to learn about the ins and outs on how to plan, market, and implement community enrichment programs. Maybe, if I’m feeling confident enough, I may actually do a Postcrossing meet up at the F. Library towards the end of my Practicum. So one goal down, just need 2 more! ::chuckles:: So yeah, I’ll need to let my Practicum Supervisor know of my interest in learning about how they put together the various programs they do, because they do a LOT of things.

Security Bone

written: January 24th

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Nothing like a cuddly, sleepy pit bull and her security bone (like a security blanket) in your lap.

So today, I worked an afternoon/evening shift at the F. Library. It was interesting, boring, and chaotic at various points in the 5 hours I was there. And I know for sure that I do NOT want to work with the young children section. ::chuckles:: But I do want to check out the STEM, Diversity, and Storytime-in-a-bag Backpacks they have in the Library. I think those would be amazing sets to implement in the after school program if possible. Once I get some hands on time with the backpacks and figure out how they could work in the after school program, I’ll pitch the idea to my boss. Who knows? Maybe the after school program could get a grant to cover the costs of implementing these for our reading time.

I was so exhausted by the time I got back home. I was using my brain so much to learn so many new things and I was utterly bushed by 10 pm. ::chuckles:: Which is EARLY for me. But all in all, really good time and it was nice to see how different things are in the evenings as opposed to the afternoons.

I still need to come up with some Practicum Goals. ::sighs:: Not overly thrilled about that. I understand the WHY, I just don’t want to do it. ::chuckles::

I do need to pick up some more cardigans. Hopefully I can find ones with pockets. I hate this not having ANY pockets at all. Maybe I can learn to sew, and add in pockets to my work pants. I seriously friggin’ hate how women’s clothing doesn’t give us pockets. Or if it does, they are some pathetic tiny little pockets. So stupid. Like, why can’t I have normal sized pockets in all my pants?????