A Sad Day...

It was a very sad day for me on Monday. I gave my two weeks notice at the daycare! I didn't think that I would ever do that until I graduated or got an internship, but I just had to. At the daycare, we have our set schedules, but a few weeks ago I looked at the schedule and noticed that my hours were cut. Being a poor college student, I went to the office to express my concern to the owner and he told me don't worry about it. He said just come in at the time you normally did, and I will find something for you to do, because you are so good with the kids I want to keep you around. Well the next day I did come in at my normal time (not the later time that the schedule indicated) and the director, who I don't respect, came up to me and asked me to talk to her in her office. She explained to me that she had to cut my hours because they hired a new girl, and this new girl said she needed more hours. So what was her logic? She decided to cut my hours, a hardworking person who has been there for two years. Doesn't really seem fair to me! The reason why they had to hire this new girl was because another girl in our group was going on maternity leave. The director also had the audacity to tell me not to be mad at Kristen (the soon-to-be mommy) for having her baby, implying that I thought it to be her fault! This isn't the first time the director has acted like a biotch! In fact it was just the last time I was going to put up with it! She has told my pregnant coworker many times that she is very big, even though her baby was measuring behind. She has also harassed (and yes thats what I would call making fun of and belittling people) me and many other of my coworkers. I decided that enough was enough, and I went job hunting! I applied and got hired at Target just as a cashier. Target sounds like an exciting job with a lot of new and fresh people! I am sure I won't deal with the same degree of harrassment there, and I can finally breathe! So when I gave my two weeks notice, the director didn't seem to care, but the owner definately did. He tried (and is still trying) to convince my to stay. I made up my mind and have to do something for myself for once! I told him that I couldn't work for someone who didn't respect me, and I am really sad that I have to leave the kids that I have been with for two years! It's extremely hard for me to leave them, in fact the reason that I haven't left up until now is the kids! I still have to try to find a way to tell them...next week sometime! Although its a sad ending at the daycare, I am hoping it will be a good beginning too!

Phenomenal Woman

PHENOMENAL WOMAN
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Weight Watchers

So I decided that I needed to lose some weight, and become more healthy. I like to work out, but it's just so hard having such a busy work, school study schedule! So Since the first of January (which is when all great resolutions begin!) I have been on weight watchers counting points! Josh's mom and aunt have been doing so great on it I thought that it would be worth a try. It has been tough sometimes, because of course this isn't a quick fix. Quick fixes are usually not healthy, and I wanted to be healthy more than anything. So far, after two months, I have lost 12 pounds! I don't have a scale here, and I don't go to the meetings-so I only weigh myself on the weekends that I go back home on my parents' scale. I'm going home again this weekend....so we'll see...maybe a little more weight off!

MY KIDS!

So I work at a daycare in Grand Forks, and for the most part, I love it.....Well I love my kids! There are a lot of politics that come with working in a daycare. There is controversy all the time between the office and everyone else. I am not sure I agree with how they are running this daycare....but I am only going to be here for a few more months until I get my degree! The main thing is...is the kids. They are the reason I work there (because it sure as hell isn't the pay...I can barely feed myself with this wage) is the kids. I love kids, and many people think that it's crazy that I am not going to school for education. You'd never guess how many people have asked me that before, and I always tell them the same answer...It doesn't pay very much (hmm imagine that just like the daycare). Why is it that jobs that include children, and the teaching of our future, are those same jobs that pay dirt? Wouldn't it be smart to invest in the education of our nation? Maybe if the salary for the average teacher was higher, there would be more teachers entering the workforce, and less becoming burnt out. Anyways, these kids deserve the best and it is sad that we are shorting them. At the daycare, I work with the five year olds (or the 4 year olds who will be turning 5 shortly) that will be going to kindergarten in the fall. There are two groups of these five year olds (called the lizards), and one group is the gecko group the other is the chameleon group. I am one of the chameleon teachers, but usually the 2 lizards groups are together anyways. We are working to get ready for kindergarten by learning our numbers, abcs, sound recognition, and so on. They are my inspiration to keep working hard! I just love being with my kids (MOST OF THE TIME!) and they honestly light up my life. When I get to work and am with the kids, I forget about the stresses of school and I focus on their innocence. Its so fun doing things through kids' eyes once again, with such curiosity. So through my blog website I may post pictures and little quirks that I learn from kids (and you sure can learn a lot from them!)
Oh by the way...I have two kids who can sing every word to the song "Smack That," and one little girl who insists on singing, "My Humps." YIKES! I wonder if their parents realize! They are pretty dirty songs if you listen to the words, but when I heard them sing it the first time I tried so hard not to encourage them more by bursting out in laughter! But I did have to put the kabosh on that! When they sing "God Bless America," I let them sing right through! They are the cutest kids ever!

My View of the War in Iraq

First of all, I am just going to say not everyone will agree with what I have to say on the war. In fact, since there is such controversy about this subject matter, most people have a very strong view on it. President Theodore Roosevelt said this during World War I, “standing by a president whether right or wrong is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American Public…Patriotism means to stand by the country; it doesn’t mean to stand by the president or any other public official.” And I don't. Okay so I shouldn't be that harsh, but I definately do not agree with how our country entered the war, and why we are still in it. I also I want to say straight out that I honor and respect our troops and their families. I will continue to support them while they are over in Iraq, but I think it would be best if they were brought home to their families. It is obvious that the US government cannot inflict freedom and unity in Iraq. Further, right now, the US armed forces seem to be acting as an army for one side of a civil war in Iraq. From what I hear, there has been no evidence of the weapons of mass destruction, and Saddam Hussein is dead. So why are we still there? There has also been some speculation as to whether or not Al-Qaeda even has any links with the Iraqi government. If you ask me, or president has been less than honest with some information. At the daycare I work at, there is a little girl in my group whose daddy is in Iraq. He was suppose to come home in March, and she always told me, "Daddy's coming home after my birthday," (which was February 15th). Well now they say he doesn't get to come home to his loving wife and children until June. And this five year old child no longer wants to talk about daddy, because she just cries everytime she does. I think it is time that her daddy, and the rest of the daddies, husbands, sons, brothers, and cousins back home!

Newbie!

So I decided it was time to jump on this bandwagon and start a blog. I think that this is something I have always wanted to do, so we will see how much time permits me! I am a fairly busy senior in college. I attend the University of North Dakota, and will graduate with a bachelor's degree in Public Administration and a minor in communication. Everyone asks me what I am going to do with a public administration degree, and to be quite honest I am not sure. I think that's what I love about my major. It's not one definite field, like education or accounting, rather it is a bunch of different things rolled into one. For instance, I am taking business classes, but I am also taking government classes. So in actuality I could find a job in either the public or private sector! I think I would really like to work with human resources in some way, but I am also becomming more and more interested in Public Relations! Although, I think that in order to get a job in the public relations sector, most people usually have communication degrees. But hey at least I am open to different ideas and areas. It will make it easier when I am looking for jobs. It also means that I won't be stuck somewhere forever! I have a hard time with that word..."forever." It's just too permanent! I like a little flexibility and breathing room.....everytime I hear that word in context with anything in my life...I feel a little suffocated!