The Chronicles Of Nay

Happy Friday! I swear 4 days weeks are the longest weeks! Like yesterday I was like how in the world is it only Thursday. I know I am way passed the one week mark I was hoping to hit for the blog posts. Maybe let’s shoot for just post! haha Let’s just say that I will keep up the blog somehow! haha One of the problems I have is finding things to talk about. You would think that the busier I am the more there would be to talk about but that doesn’t seem like the case! haha The problem is that nothing exciting happens. Either I am in class, teaching class, reading for class or grading! haha Don’t be fooled though… I am LOVING it! I will say that I have started a few different blogs lately and haven’t finished them so I am just combing them here. Just a heads up there is some random jumps here.

I am enjoying my students. I already have a few funny stories. I am compiling them so don’t worry that will be another blog for an other time! Learning school is going well. I am taking Qualitative Inquiry and science language. I have really enjoyed most of the reading that I have done so far this semester. I like the stuff that makes you go “huh… interesting…”.

I have been very reflective lately. One of the things I have reflected on is my mental health. Hold on keep reading, before you jump to anything. I have offered help for a few different things to a few different people and they have all responded “I didn’t want to ask you because you have a lot going on.” I had a few feelings about it. First I was hurt! Like don’t tell me what I can and can’t handle. Then I was grateful for these people in my life. Boundaries are always something I have had issues with, especially when it comes to helping people or to my students. I have been trying to set stronger boundaries that would allow me to do both grad school and teach. So I realized that I should not been offended but grateful. I just hope that I haven’t been trying to make myself so busy so that I don’t deal with feelings! haha I will cross that bridge in the middle of October when I have my inevitable break down! haha

So another thing I was pondering this week was just some things about growing up in a smallish town. One of the hardest things for me when I moved to Texas was going to the store going in, wandering around doing all my shopping paying and leaving and not running in to ANYONE that I know! I grew up in Farmington NM. When I graduated high school in 2004 there were about 41,000 people that lived there. My dad spent most of his life there as well. He went to high school there and worked in different jobs, went to different churches I tell you that to tell you that we never went anywhere without running into someone that we knew. We couldn’t go in to Walmart or Safeway (Tom Thumb) or Home Depot without seeing at least one person my dad knew. Nothing was ever a quick trip! I didn’t realize how much I would miss that until I moved here. When I moved to Texas I didn’t know anyone! I have been here 15 years now and I have made friends in many different circles. It always makes my heart happy when I run in to Sandie at Starbucks or Grimaldo and her family at a random mexican restaurant!

Ok and the last blog I started but hadn’t finished was the happy anniversary blog for my parents. My parents have been married for 38 years. I tell people they are still grossly in love! My parents spend a lot of time together because they enjoy each others company. I spent a month with them this summer and you really look at things differently when you are an adult.

A few things I have learned from them over the years:

1. It is ok to be wrong, it is ok to be right, either way be kind.
2. pick your battles
3. communication is important
4. enjoy the little things
5. find someone that will eat the chocolate ice cream from your banana split but not eat all the banana!
6. laugh, a lot, all the time, at everything, with each other! Find the joy!

I leave you with a bit of advice from my mom from a time she was asked how she “trained my dad” to remember anniversaries and birthdays and mother’s day. She said simply that she reminds him. We all get busy things slip our minds. She just gives him a simple reminder the week before “do you have anything planned for our anniversary next week?” or “I was thinking maybe dinner for my birthday at Red Lobster next week.” This won’t work for everyone but this is a battle my mom chooses not to fight. He shows her he loves her in so many ways that she doesn’t need him to remember those things. I think he secretly remembers but one of the battles he chooses not to fight is getting those gentle reminders! haha Like I said communication is important! That was a very long way to say happy anniversary! Love you!!!

Well It is late and I think I am going to go to bed! I have a lot to do this weekend! Homework and grading and lesson planning, you know life of a teacher and grad student!