Winter Break

Winter Break is so close, yet it will seem like forever until it comes. Next week I have 1 final a day which I am not really looking forward to. I just want to be done with classes for the semester. The first thing I am doing over winter break is going to Brown County with my dad's side of the family and staying in the cabins. It is a lot of fun. Other than that I am just nannying for my favorite 4 little boys and relaxing at home with my friends and family.  I can't wait. Hurry up winter break!

Group Presentation

On Tuesday my group did our presentation on FGM. I thought it went really well. We started off by talking about what FGM is and who we are. Than we moved into our media. We started off with the teenage population with the facebook page and the 1st part of the benefit concert. Than we talked about our older population with the postcards, second half of the benefit concert, flyer, and holiday cards. I think overall my group did a great job. We all did our part to contribute to the group. It was a good way to end the semester in english. 

Progress Journal-4

December 1- 30 minutes

Tonight I worked more on my benefit concert poster/brochure. We decided to make it a much larger concert than originally planned. We also decided that it would be cool to have Oprah host it and have only female singers perform. On the brochure it has who is performing, a little bit about FGM, where the proceeds will go, and the location, date, and time of the concert. We present on Tuesday so my group is getting together to make the final decisions and figure out what we are going to talk about in our presentation. 

Progress Journal-3

November 30- 1 hour

Last night I began working on my brochure for our project. I quickly decided to not do a brochure. Instead I decided to do a handout for a benefit concert that could take place to raise money and awareness for our organization. On it I included a little bit of information about FGM and what the purpose of raising money would be. I put a date, location, and time on it as well as a picture logo for FGM.

Progress Journal-2

Project: Female Genital Mutilation

11/18/09- 1 hour and 15 minutes 

Today we figured out what to do for our proposal. We decided for sure what media we would use for our presentation. We decided to make a Facebook group and add pictures, information, and start discussions. We are going to make brochures with information about FGM that you might see in a doctor's office. The other thing we decided to make is either postcards with a dramatic picture and information of how to help or make Christmas cards that you can buy where the money will go towards the prevention of FGM. Mallory is going to take over the Facebook page and keep that going. I am going to work on the brochures, and Kelly is going to make the postcards or the Christmas cards. We will all work together to find information to use in our separate part of the presentation. We will all also each talk about the different medias that we are using in our presentation.

Progress Journal- 1

Project: Female Genital Mutilation 

Purpose: To inform people (mostly women and moms) about the procedure and health risks of FGM. We want to spread awareness and stop FGM.

Media Ideas: brochures that have the procedure of FGM and the health risks; website; picture movie that has pictures and information about FGM

11/12/09 15 minutes 

Today we worked for a little while in class brainstorming ideas about the different media that we could use. We came to the conclusion that we should not use any humor in our presentation and that it is not directed towards children. We thought that the best audience would be mothers or other women so that we could inform them about how to protect their daughters against FGM and the health risks included in it. We haven't decided on a media yet since we need to be careful about what pictures we use in it.

My Finding Nemo Story

When my roommate and I moved in we decided we wanted to have fish. I had the little fish tank with a filter and reef that my sister used to have so it was perfect. We went to Walmart and bought 2 little glow-fish, Sunny and Layla. Everything was fine with them up until fall break. I went to feed the fish and realized that Sunny was no where to be found. I thought that Layla ate him because she was always chasing him around the tank, but I continued to look. I turned off the filter, looked inside, and realized the Sunny was swimming in the bottom of the filter. I have no idea how he got in there, but there he was. I dumped him out and he kind of sank to the bottom, but then started swimming normal again. He looked like he was gonna be ok. After I came back from fall break he was no longer swimming. :( Than it was just Laya. Last weekend I decided to take her home and put her in with my turtles. We cleaned out the tank and had her in a tupperware bowl to take her home in. The bowl was sitting on the dresser without the lid on it. The next thing we knew, Layla was sitting on the dresser outside of the bowl dead. She somehow managed to jump out of the bowl and land about a foot away. I now think that I should not be allowed to own fish because they don't seem to like me. 

My Other Half

My best friend is Lacey. We met in health class in 7th grade and have been best friends ever since. Lacey is more that just a best friend, she is practically my sister. We have so many memories from our fun times and trips together. She has been boating with my family every summer to various lakes and camping every fall break to Brown County. Lacey was born in Canada so most of her family lives there. Last winter I went to Canada with her family for a few days. Those trips are great, but I think we have the most fun when we just hang out around home or go on our "dates" out to dinner, shopping, or scrapbooking. Lacey and I were inseparable until now. She goes to school at Eastern Kentucky. Since school started I have seen her once. It is really hard not seeing here everyday like I used to, but when we are together it is like we were never apart. I will get to see her over Thanksgiving break and we are going shopping on Black Friday. And for spring break we are flying to San Diego to visit her sister. I cannot wait to spend a week with my best friend. 

What I Love About Winter

Winter is probably my least favorite season because I am not a big fan of the freezing temperatures, but there are still many things that I love about it... first snowfall, sitting by the fireplace, sledding, snow days (they happen occasionally here), Thanksgiving, watching it snow, sitting in the hot tub, Pokagon, Christmas, decorations, music, family dinners, Christmas lights, putting up the tree, New Years Eve party, Winter Break, curling up under a blanket, watching Christmas Vacation and other Christmas classics, Black Friday shopping, ice skating, carriage rides downtown, playing outside... I could probably go on and on, but those are the best ones. 

My Second Family

Along with my amazing family, there is a family that I consider my second family. It is the family that I nanny for. They have 4 little boys aging from 1 year to 8 years old. They used to live across the street from me, but after the third one was born they moved to Carmel, IN. When they lived across the street I would go over to their house after school and help out with the boys. When they first moved to Carmel it was a little more difficult to get there because I did not have my drivers license yet, but Tom, the dad, would pick me up from school and drive me to their house and back home. When I got my license I drove there two days a week and would stay there until 8pm. During this summer I went there two- three days a week and would usually just spend the night there in their guest room. I would take the older boys, Billy and Tommy to the pool, movies, fishing, and sometimes to Chuck E Cheese, or their sports practices. With the younger boys, Jackson and Matthew, I would usually just play outside with them or take them on walks. I have helped at many of their birthday parties, gone to birthday dinners, and was there their first day of school. They have given me the best job I could ever asked for and have made me feel like a part of their family.

Thanksgiving

I can not wait until Thanksgiving. We have a 5 day break which is wonderful. We always have Thanksgiving at my house with my mom's side of the family. My grandparents, aunt and uncle come as well as my three cousins with their wives/ girlfriends. My boyfriend and my sister's boyfriend also come. This year will be even better because there is a new edition to our family. I have a new little cousin Noah that was born this summer and I can't wait to see him again. It's always fun with my cousins because we have the "kids" table and the adult table. Our table is much more fun and we usually just end up making fun of the adults. I'm not a big turkey person, but this is one of the times when I will eat it. We have all kinds of other food too. My dad makes two types of stuffings, and everyone else pitches in corn casserole, mashed potatoes, rolls, pie, and all other sorts of good stuff. After I eat this meal I go to my boyfriends house for my second meal. I love being able to be with my family and his family on thanksgiving. Than there is Black Friday. Last year was the first year that I had really gone out early on Black Friday. I went with my best friend Lacey and can't wait to go again this year. Hurry up and get here Thanks giving Break!

Photography

If I was not an education major, I would probably be a photography major. I love to take pictures. In high school I took 2 years of photography classes. The first year we just used film and developed our pictures in the dark room. Some people hated it, but I did not. I enjoyed it and found it relaxing. The second year we did half with the dark room and half digital. I liked doing both, but never seemed to remember the technical stuff with the digital cameras. I just like taking the pictures and having fun with it. When I am around my two nieces it seems like I always have my camera with me clicking away. I would love to take pictures at a wedding or do a photo shoot with little kids. I then decided that photography was a passion and hobby, but not a career option for me. I was meant to be a teacher, but I'm sure I will take plenty of pictures in my class.

Fall Break

Fall Break is just around the corner and I cannot wait till it is here. I wish we had more than just Friday off, but I will take whatever we get. For Fall Break I am going down to Brown County to go camping like I do every year. My family is there along with family friends and my friends. I don't know what we are going to do there this year, but I know we will have fun because we always do. On Friday the family that I nanny for, which includes four adorable little boys, may even be coming down for the day. I hope that these next three days go by fast and easy so it can hurry up and be Fall Break! I'm also so happy that the weather is supposed to be somewhat warm this week and weekend.

Barbie House

When I was little I loved to play with my Barbies. I had so many, but didn't have a house for them until the Christmas of my second grade year. This house was no the typical pink plastic Barbie house that everyone had. My dad built me this house out of wood and it came complete with furniture that my Grandma made. The house is probably around 4 feet wide and 4 feet tall. When it was closed it looked just like a rectangle house with a slanted roof on both sides. To play in the house you had to unlatch a hook on each side and the front of the house came down to reveal the inside. On the first floor there was a kitchen and family room with a couch, fireplace, rocking chair, and lamp that my Grandma made. I had to pretend there were stairs to get to the second story because my house did not include that. There were three rooms upstairs. there was a bedroom with a big white bed and matching vanity; a smaller room for the little Barbies, and a bathroom complete with a sink and toilet. Of course to make the house even more finished I added my other plastic furniture that I already had. It was the best Barbie house anyone could ever imagine. This present probably got more use out of it than any of my others and it truly a treasure of mine. It is something that I still have and that I plan on keeping forever. I have to admit that when my three and six year old nieces come to visit, I play Barbies with them in my Barbie house. 

Teaching Diverstiy

In my EDEL 100 class we were learning about teaching diversity in the classroom. We learned that you should not think of having a diverse class as a bad thing, but as a good thing. Having a student from a different culture can be an advantage for you and your students. The student from a different culture can teach you and the other students about their culture and their different customs. The article I found is about a teacher that makes has her students make an art project that shows their culture. This project is directed towards kindergarten and first grade students. They are given construction paper and wide variety of art supplies. with these supplies they choose the color of their skin and add all their facial features. When they are done, they have a self portrait of them-self that shows how they are different than everyone else. I think this a great project to get your students introduced to diversity.

Works Cited

Lawson, Mered "Pidgie" "CELEBRATING DIVERSITY." Arts & Activities 146.2 (2009): 32-33. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 13 Oct. 2009.

Broken Heater :(

Our heater is broken. One would think that if the heater is broken our room would be cold. That is not the case. Our room is really hot and we can't turn the heat down or off. Along with the heat, there is an awful noise coming from it. It sounds like there is a person inside of it that is hammering something. It is VERY annoying and loud. Sometimes it goes away for a little bit and then comes right back. It is so loud that you can hear it from the end of the hall and our neighbors have complained. Someone came to work on it and we got a paper that said work in progress. I hope it doesn't take too long. 

Song Analysis

Do the details come from a point of view? That is, do you see the writer’s particular interpretation coming across distinctly separate from the “common” or easy interpretation of the song? Describe what you know. What else do you want to know?

I think that this question is one of the most important questions from the peer review because part of the analysis assignment is to interpret the song as to what you think it is about so it is crucial that the details come from the writer's point of view. You don't want to the interpretation to be easy because you don't want the reader to agree with it right a way. 

Family

My family is the number one thing in my life. They have always been there for me just like I always plan on being there for them. I'll tell you a little about my family. I live with my mom, dad, my sister Emily, and our two dogs. I also have another sister in Texas. I have the greatest parents in the world. My dad is very outgoing and funny. He can always make me smile. He can sometimes have a temper but it doesn't last long just like mine. My dad did not go to college, he graduated from high school and started his own wholesale florist business on his own. He has owned the same place, Plants Plus since then. My mom is always there for me to talk to and is very sweet. She works with my dad and together they run the business. My parents work very hard and have long days, but they do it for my sister and I. We go on vacation every summer for a week and a couple other smaller trips so these are my parent's time off. We have had some of the greatest experiences on these trips. My sister Emily is a senior here majoring in Elementary Ed and Special Ed. We used to not get along at all when we are younger, but are now pretty close. She is always there when I need advice or someone to complain too. I have two golden retrievers that are the best dogs. Their names are Duncan and Logan. They are a big part of my family and come almost everywhere with us. Now you know a little about my amazing family. 

College Mentors for Kids

Today was my first day at College Mentors for Kids. I got to meet my little buddy today. His name is Clark. He is in 4th grade and will be 10 next week. I am used to crazy little boys from the families that I nanny for, but he was a little crazier than the ones I am used to. We didn't do too much today. He told me all about his Star Wars cards today and about his dog. We read a book, did a crossword puzzle, and decorated their journals that they have to write in each week. He seems really nice and fun, but he just does not listen too well. He will definitely be a challenge for me this year, but I need all the experience I can get going into teaching. I am looking forward to next week and I hope it goes better.

Traditions

My family has several traditions that we do each year. Most of the ones that I cant think of right now are the little trips that we take throughout the year. Every fall break my whole family goes down to Brown County and goes camping. we have been doing this since I was really little and every year we add more people. The next one is back to Brown County in December with my family, but this time we stay in cabins. This is the time when we have our Christmas with that side of my family. Next is in January when we go to Pokagon State Park, which is probably the best place to go in the winter. They have a toboggan run and the perfect sledding hill. We started this about 5 years ago and have been every year since. It is always a blast and we once again always add more people every year. The last two are in the summer. Over 4th of July we take our boat up to Lake Michigan. The water is usually still too cold to go waterskiing, but we make the best of us. My favorite part is when we go out on the lake to watch the fireworks set off from the beach. It is so beautiful and peaceful. The last one is our week long trip to Dalehollow at the end of the summer. We once again take our boat and we meet up with some friends from Georgia. Every year is different there, but we always spend most of the day out on the water wither skiing, tubing, swimming, or just driving around. I love going on all these trips with my family and I look forward to each one of them every year.

"Each day's a gift and not a given right"

I was listening to Nickelback's song,If Today Was Your Last Day, recently and the phrase "Each day's a gift and not a given right" really stuck out to me. Last Tuesday my Uncle Mike passed away. My mom called and told me after I was done with classes. The news was shocking. He was 58 years old and healthy. He had had a heart attack and when my Aunt Marcia woke up and found him it was too late. I couldn't believe it. My Uncle Mike was one of the nicest people you could have known. He loved being with his family and traveling. Every year we went to Brown County over fall break, Brown county in December, and Pokagon in the winter with them. In other words, we were close to him. The services were on Friday and Saturday. Seeing my Aunt Marcia broke my heart. They were married for 38 years and she never even got to say goodbye before he was gone. You should tell your loved ones everyday how much they mean to you in case you never get another chance. Live each day to the fullest and don't take your life for grant-it because "each day is a gift and not a given right."

Drops of Jupiter

I am thinking about using this song for my analysis in class. I have always liked the song, but didn't always understand the meaning of the words. 

Now that shes back in the atmosphere
With drops of jupiter in her hair, hey, hey
She acts like summer and walks like rain
Reminds me that theres time to change, hey, hey
Since the return from her stay on the moon
She listens like spring and she talks like june, hey, hey

Tell me did you sail across the sun
Did you make it to the milky way to see the lights all faded
And that heaven is overrated

Tell me, did you fall for a shooting star
One without a permanent scar
And did you miss me while you were looking at yourself out there

Now that shes back from that soul vacation
Tracing her way through the constellation, hey, hey
She checks out mozart while she does tae-bo
Reminds me that theres time to grow, hey, hey

Now that shes back in the atmosphere
Im afraid that she might think of me as plain ol jane
Told a story about a man who is too afraid to fly so he never did land

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back to the milky way
And tell me, did venus blow your mind
Was it everything you wanted to find
And did you miss me while you were looking for yourself out there

Can you imagine no love, pride, deep-fried chicken
Your best friend always sticking up for you even when I know youre wrong
Can you imagine no first dance, freeze dried romance five-hour phone
Conversation
The best soy latte that you ever had . . . and me

Tell me did the wind sweep you off your feet
Did you finally get the chance to dance along the light of day
And head back toward the milky way

Fall

While most people's favorite season is probably summer, my favorite season is fall. Early fall has the perfect temperature. It isn't too hot or too cold. It is the perfect weather for wearing jeans and a sweatshirt. It is just right for spending the day outside camping. Every year since I was little I have been going to Brown County State Park over my fall break. Brown Country is always beautiful in the fall because of all the colorful trees around there. My family including my aunt, uncle, and cousins come, along with many of my friends. My family takes our rv, but my friends and I usually sleep out in a big tent. During the day we don't do much of anything. Sometimes we go into Nashville, or play football, or just sit around the campfire talking and eating. Every year is different and it always seems like we have more people each year. I always have so much fun and can't wait until this year.

Ishmael Beah

Last night Ishmael Beah had an author's speech at Emens. His speech was very motivational and informative. Listening to him tell his story was even better than just reading the book. He spoke about his life back in Sierra Leone before and during the war, as well as when he came to New York for the first time. He explained how the little things in life that we take for grant-it are never heard of in Sierra Leone. He told us how complicated it was to explain turning on the faucet and getting hot water. In Sierra Leone you had to boil the water and add cold water to get the temperature you want. He also had to explain the moving sidewalk to his uncle. His uncle thought it would be a good idea to have one in Africa so you could just stand on it and you would get out of the war. Ishmael talked about how difficult it was getting back to the US since he did not have a bank statement or land statement. He said the people didn't understand how had the war was in Sierra Leone and why didn't have these documents. Once in the US he started to attend school. He did not tell anyone about his experience until college. He began to write his book his sophomore year and did not intend for it to be published, since he just wanted it for himself. It ended up getting published and he now travels around giving speeches. He said in the future he wants to attend law school. He is also in the process of writing another book. He was very inspirational to listen to because he never gave up hope. Someone once told him that if you are still alive, there is a chance that something good might happen to you, otherwise you wouldn't be alive. He said that is what kept him going the whole time during the war.

My Worst Experience Flying

Two summers ago my sister and I were in Dallas, TX trying to get home. We arrived at the airport to find out that our flight had been delayed, then delayed again, then canceled. We followed some people to another terminal to try to get on another flight that was going to Indianapolis that night. Well that didn't work so we were put on standby for the following morning. Unfortunately my luggage was put on that flight so I had basically nothing. Never believe the people when they put you on standby and tell you that you will be on the next flight, you won't. We got to the airport plenty early and waited and waited for them to call our names. It never happened. We were put on another standby list and we didn't make it on that one either. We were so upset and just wanted to get home. We were told that we would be on the standby list and be on the next flight home. We waited by that gate for what seemed like forever. Finally they called my sister's name, but not mine. Well we weren't going to split up so they assured us we would be on the flight leaving the next day. Sure enough, we were and we were put in first class. It was all fun on the way home until we landed in Indianapolis and my suitcase was nowhere to be found. Ever since then I have been really cautious about what I pack in my suitcase since I lost so much that was not replaced. It was my worst experience flying.

Lake Michigan

Going up to Lake Michigan is one of my favorite places to go. Every summer we take our boat up there over 4th of July. Sometimes we never even get to take our boat out and ski because the lake is so rough, but sometimes it is so smooth that we drive it across the lake to Chicago. That's just one of the things about Lake Michigan, you never know how the waves will be and they can change in an instant. One thing is for sure though, the water is always freezing. Even so, we usually take our dogs to the beach and go swimming. The beaches are beautiful. They may not be white sand with palm trees, but there are sand dunes that are fun to run down. Watching the sunset on the beach is a must when I am there. Watching it go down over the horizon is amazing. at night I like to go to one of the beaches and walk out to the lighthouse and look at all the stars. It is so peaceful out there. It may not be Florida, but it is a lot closer and the water is just as pretty.

A Simple Smile Can Brighten Your Day

Last year I volunteered at a therapeutic riding center. Kids with all different types of disabilities would come out and ride horses in a class as a form of therapy. There was this one boy in particular that I remember working with. He was around 7 years old and I think he may have been autistic. He hated to have people tell him what to do and even worse to have someone touch him. He also did not want anything to do with the horse and got frustrated with it easily. During the class they would play little games, practice steering the horse, and trotting around the arena. Some days were better than others, but they all consisted of him not wanting to do what he was told and complaining about it. The worst was the trotting part. After each class, the kids had the option to walk their horse back with us and untack them and brush them. Of course he never wanted to do that either. There was one day towards the end of the year where he volunteered to trot first and his complaining was replaced by a smile. After class he walked back with me and held on the the horse's lead rope. The horse kept stopping to eat grass, which usually made him upset, but this time he thought it was funny. When I left that day, I knew I had made a difference and coming there wasn't a waste of my time. All it took was that simple smile and laugh on one day.

My Favorite Quote

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain." 

-This is one of my favorite quotes because how it relates to life is so true. When a storm comes, people usually stay inside and in a sense hide from the storm because they don't want to deal with the bad weather. Just like in life when something goes wrong or doesn't go your way, you like to sit and watch and complain about what is happening. Instead of waiting for the storm to go by, you should be out making the best of it by playing in the rain. In reality you should not just sit and watch your problems, but make the best of them. 

Why I chose Ball State

There are many reasons why I chose to come to Ball State this year. The main reason that I chose Ball State is for the Teacher's college since my major is Early Childhood Special Education. The program gets you started in the classroom early which I thought was important. I also liked the size of campus. It wasn't too big or too small. Ball State is only about 45 minutes from my home so it isn't a bad drive if I want to go home for the weekend. One of my sister's goes to Ball State so I had come to visit her often over the past years and really learned my way around the campus. She also told me about how great is was a how great all the professors are. Even though most of my friends are at Purdue this year, I am glad that I chose Ball State.