Happy Holidays!

Hi everyone! :)
Happy Hanukkah/Merry Christmas/Happy Kwanzaa!
Or as the old commercial says- Have a merry christmahanukwanzika!

Work is going well- I'm already 1/2 way done with my 3rd rotation of 6th graders, and just started my new 3rd rotation of 7th & 8th graders today. It's going so fast! I was talking with the girl I got hired with the other day, and she put into words exactly what I've been feeling- "It just seems like after winter break we'll go back to school, and realize that this has all been a dream and we won't have jobs!" Yipes! I certainly hope not! It took me long enough to find a job, let's not lose it now!
I am getting kudos from my bosses though- I've been really involved with talking with the AP's (assistant principals) about a student with a troubled home & school life, and I've been actively talking to a team about a student having issues with getting work done. My principal emails me a lot just to say "Good job Megan!! Way to stay in touch!" w00t!

**cool side note- did you know that Miriam-Webster has decided to put w00t in the dictionary???**

Anyway, I digress (one of the vocab words I'm teaching my kids!)

Wedding plans are currently on "pause" until Derek determines a positive graduation date- either March or June of 2009 for him. How's a winter wedding sound?!?

That's about all for now! :)

Four Things...

I found this on Nicole's profile...and it's giving me something to do! Hurray!

A) Four jobs I have had in my life.

1. Reading Specialist, Woodland Middle School
2. Special Services Assistant, Grove Avenue School
3. Teacher, Huntington Learning Center
4. Site Director, Deerfield Park District

B) Four movies I would watch over and over

1. Finding Nemo
2. Forrest Gump
3. The Fifth Element
4. Madagascar

C) Four places I have lived

1. Park Ridge, IL (born here!)
2. Wheeling, IL
3. Soon to be moving to Grayslake, IL
4. That's it...

D) Four TV shows I watch

1. Gray's Anatomy (woooooo)
2. House
3. Law & Order: SVU
4. Ugly Betty

E) Four places I have been

1. Key West, FL
2. St. Thomas, USVI
3. New York, NY
4. Hillsboro, IL

F) Four people who e-mail me regularly

1. Dina (at work and not!)
2. Derek
3. SurveySpot
4. My building principal

G) Four of my favorite foods

1. Chocolate chocolate chocolate
2. Grilled cheese & tomato soup (every Friday at work!)
3. Cream soups
4. Brisket

H) Four places I would like to be right now

1. At the beach
2. In a bookstore
3. In my own townhome
4. In a hammock

I) Four things I am looking forward to next year

1. Cubs win the World Series! (Hey, a girl can dream...)
2. Moving into Derek's & my new townhome!
3. Getting asked back at my school to start working towards tenure!
4. Only 1 more year until our wedding!

J) Four things I am not looking forward to next year

1. Having to find a summer job
2. Paying tons more bills than I have money for
3. Driving in the snow
4. Cubs not winning the World Series

JOB UPDATE!

I HAVE A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

woooooooooooooooooooooooo

I just got hired to work at a Middle School in Gurnee!!! I am SO EXCITED! I am going to be teaching reading to sixth, seventh, and eighth graders who just aren't meeting state standards in reading. HURRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh. My. God.

There are some things that even words can't describe, but I'll try!

Tonight US99 was giving away Kenny Chesney tickets (oh the excitement!!) every 6 minutes at the Shop-N-Save in Des Plaines. "Hurray!" I thought. "Free tickets from a place that I know how to get to!!!" So I made up my mind to go. Now, my mom and I are the country fans in the house, but she was going to dinner with friends. So I dragged Mandy along to get another name in the drawing. We got there around 4:30 and had a drink at Potbelly's while we watched them set up. At 5:00, we walked over and filled out the little form. Dropped it in the basket, and then we found a spot on the curb and waited. While we waited, we people watched, and here are the results: (We've named them for their anonymity...or not)

1. Plum Girl: Chubby girl wearing a plum velvet tracksuit and black high heels. She had quite the ghetto bootie, and since she was leaning back against a lightpost, it literally looked like the pole went in her butt and came out the top. Seriously.

2. The Toothless Wonder: Middle-aged lady, on the shorter side, smelled like a litterbox. When she smiled, we saw that she was missing EVERY TOOTH on the top row except for two. EVERY. TOOTH. *gak* The smell did not help things either.

3. The Chaw Boys: A group of 2 frat boys who thought they were just all that. As soon as they got there, they whipped out their can 'o tobbacy and shoved such a ball into their mouths that their lower lip stuck out 4 inches. So for two hours, we were forced to watch them shift it from one side of their mouth to the other and every 30 seconds, spit brown drool into the street. YUCK.

4. Flab Woman and Santa Claus: Can you picture it already? She had absolutely NO butt (her back turned into her thighs) and a shirt that was way too short. However, in case you're wondering where her butt went, let me tell you- it was UNDER HER SHIRT. Seriously- her stomach that was flopping out from her shirt had a line up the middle so it looked like her butt. No joke. And her husband, who resembled a stoned Santa Claus, was wearing a shirt from the Hog's Breath Bar in Key West that said "Hog's Breath is better than no breath at all!" Um. Gross.

5. He/She: Either a woman with way too much testosterone, or a man with boobs and a purse. Now, it's not so bad, until you consider the fact that they also had a 5 o'clock shadow and armpit hair!!!!!! When you see something like that singing Leanne Womack, you just know that the song will never mean the same thing again.

6. He/She's Mom: About 95 years old, chunky, white hair (what was left of it), missing 2 teeth on the top row (hey, she and Toothless Wonder should get together!), and her toenails...yellow, cracked, peeling, and curled over the TOP of her TOE onto her SANDAL!!!!!!!!

7. Fondling Man: Skinny guy, fairly tall, wearing a ripped t-shirt and really shorty shorts. He kept accosting the Deans' ice cream guy for all of his free samples, and in a 2 hour period he ate about 10 Popsicles and ice cream sandwiches. Every once in a while, he'd sit down on the curb, bust out his cell phone, and dial some number but never talk. While he was listening to whoever was on the other end, he'd slowly start running his hand up and down his leg, and pretty soon, he stuck his entire hand UP HIS SHORTS. That was bad enough, but then he started to pinch at his shorts right between his legs...we almost threw up!!!! It was awful!!!!!

*Gasp*

I had to breathe after that retelling- it was awful. I need to go shower now...and I didn't even win tickets. How sucky is that?!?!?

What a night. Remind me never to follow the rewards team again!

Still Waiting...

I was supposed to hear from the principal at the Junior High I interviewed at a week ago, but I didn't. So I emailed him last Thursday, and I heard from him yesterday- "Hi Megan, we're still interviewing. Thanks!" I still have a shot! *crosses fingers*
I also have an interview on Wednesday at Huntington Learning Center, for some part-time work or maybe more if I don't have a teaching job by the fall. I hope this won't end up being the case, but it's nice to know I could have a back-up just in case.
I'm getting my hair cut tomorrow! Not sure what I'm going to be doing with it, but I'll probably keep it longer just because I like putting it up. Then Wednesday is the chiropractor (finally!) before my interview, and that's it so far for the week.
I have discovered that I really miss Gray's Anatomy and Law & Order: SVU's new episodes. Now, instead of watching TV, I get shpilkes (figits, for those of you non-Yiddish speakers) and cook something instead. You may be thinking, hey, that's not bad, good for her (and Derek). But it is bad! Then I eat it! YARGH. I really need a job. Otherwise, I'm just like, hey, what's the most chocolatey thing I can think of to make...and then I make it! Yipes.
On a good note though, I went to my favorite store the other day where I get all my fab costume jewelry. They were having their "Christmas in July" sale, where all preferred customers (me!) get 50% off EVERYTHING in the store. That's right. EVERYTHING. So I went only slightly crazy (got there 1/2 hour before the store opened...was the first one in...) but only spent about $80! I got 4 different full sets of stuff - necklace, earrings, bracelet, etc. FABULOUS! :-D
Alright, 11:00 is late enough for me- I've gotta leave the house at 10:00 tomorrow morning.
By the way- Harry Potter the 7th was GREAT. I stayed up until 1:00 in the morning last night (or this morning?) to finish it. It definitely answered some questions, and I really don't think anyone can turn a quick profit by trying to make spinoffs of it.
Goodnight everyone! :)

Job?

Just a quick post... I interviewed in Niles today (East Maine #63!) and I think the interview went really well. I met with the principal first, and then he had me meet with the assistant principal after that. He said to me "We only do that to the candidates we like," so hopefully that means a second interview for me!
Now to go and review what dangling participles are...

~me~

Summer Lovin', Had Me A Blast...

So I watched Grease last night, so sue me. :-P
Obviously I did not write about when I got back from St. Thomas, but who really thought I was there for 3 months? I wish! It was great to get away, and the weather was marvelous, and of course the drinks were great... but then I came back.
Work wrapped up a week & 1/2 ago, and do I have a summer job? NO! Do I have a job for the fall? NO! I wish I did, but the applications are still cranking, and I did have 2 interviews last week. Now I'm just waiting. The waiting sucks, but there's not much I can do about that.
Otherwise, not much is new. I want to move into my own place, but that hinges on a job and where I'll be, so I just have to wait (again with the waiting!).

C U L8er gater. (soooo lame :-X)

And I'm Off!!

Hello, faithful blogger readers! (am I being hopeful to ask for more than one? :-X)
Right now, it is 10:57 P.M. on Sunday, March 25th. I am leaving my house at 3:15 A.M. on Monday, March 26th. Is there really a point in me going to bed? I'd get what, all of 3 hours of sleep? Hm...maybe it's better I don't, so I'll sleep on the plane.
That's right, ladies and gentlemen, the plane. (de plane! de plane!) My flight to St. Thomas leaves at 6:30 A.M., with a quick plane-change in Charlotte, North Carolina. That's right- St. Thomas, Virgin Islands. w00t.
I just printed out maps of the other airports' terminals, so we can find our way around easier. On the way home, we fly from St. Thomas to Washington Dulles, and have 1 hour and 3 minutes to find the terminal with our plane to Chicago O'Hare, where we will land at 10:46 P.M. Judging from the looks of their map, it will take 1 hour and 2 minutes to get there from where our first plane lands. Sooo...might I be taking a sick day on Monday from work because I was stuck overnight in the Dulles airport? Stay tuned for an update on the exciting news when I get back.
Until then- think sun, sand, and scuba! :-D

Happy Holidays!

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah! Derek's here (done with his semester), I've only got 3 days of school left until my winter break, and life is good. It's a pretty basic day-to-day schedule- get up, go to work, teach, come home, go to bed- but I enjoy it and the weekends are so super to have free. Plus breaks and holidays! Hurray for holiday pay! (Yeah, I get paid for 10 days during the year when there's no school. Sweet.)
I don't really know why I really keep this blog thing up. Perhaps I like sending my thoughts into the great unknown... but then again, maybe the unknown doesn't need to know my thoughts. Hm. Whatev.
Tara's wedding is in 2 or 3 weeks (on Jan. 6), and I'm really sad I can't go. It's just that I go back to work on Jan. 3, so I'd have to take a sick day, fly out to NC on Friday, and then come back on Sunday. I just can't do it :( But I wish you & Kirk all my love!
Perhaps I'll write again soon...but most likely not :-P
Adios!

Alrighty then!

So Durty Nellie's was cool, but wayyyyyy too crowded. There were like 500 people in a room meant to hold 150. Seriously. Plus my feet were on FIRE from standing for like 5 hours straight. Derek got in the final round of the costume competition though, which was cool. :)

Work is work...I get paid Friday. Another teacher just announced her pregnancy today- maybe it's a trend around the state! One can hope, right?

The dedication of my grandma's stone is this Sunday...should be a depressing time. However, my uncle is flying in, so at least I get to see him for a weekend.

Halloween's over! I ate too much candy- back to the Lean Cuisine meals. Hey, they work! I have more energy and I lost like 9 pounds already. w00t!

So...I'm a dork, but I already started my holiday shopping. I've got my mom's b-day present (it's on Dec. 11), Derek's dad's X-Mas present, Derek's mom's X-Mas present, my co-teacher's & co-aid's present, and some of my sister's presents. Yes, I am awesome.

Other than all that- not too much else. OH! Nicole, here's the newest & NOT CHANGING AGAIN wedding date! May 16, 2009. It's done. It'll be in Chicago- or at least the Northern suburbs. By then, you'll hopefully have no excuse not to come!!

This was a very sporadic post, and who knows when the next will come. It's a mystery- I like to keep you guessing. Gobble gobble... ;-)

It's almost Saturday......

Alright, not really, but I have wishful thinking. Plus, Saturday night is going to be SO AWESOME at Durty Nellie's with the boys! It's me, Derek, Kurt, Ryan, Anthony, John, and Justine. I can't wait! It's a costume party too...so y'all better dress up!
Sandra & Nicole, we'll miss you- let's try soon to all get together again. Maybe in B/N this time so we all drive about the same distance?
**love**

So it's been a while...

It's been over a month since I've posted on here, but man, I've been so busy! Work is long and crazy (8 AM-4 PM), but the paychecks make me much happier and make me feel better about my financial future and eventually moving out of my house within the next two years.

DA BEARS :-D

I sub all the time at work, mostly for my teacher. It's extra pay, which is sweeeeet, plus I get to make the classroom MINE for that amount of time. I really like that feeling- now only if I could rearrange everything and make the room that much cuter :-)

For anyone who actually reads this who I'm friends with (Nicole, that'd be you!), I am in the process of planning a road trip/getaway to my house! Yeah, yeah, I'm not leaving, but that's not the point. Here's the rundown:
Where: My house in Wheeling & Durty Nellie's in Palatine
When: Oct. 28th, 9:00 PM
What: Hairbanger's Halloween Bash at Durty Nellie's (awesome bar/club)
Who: confirmed: Derek, Anthony, Ryan, Kurt
possibles: John, Justine, Sandra, Nicole
Why: To get everyone together and party hearty!
How: Um...drinking + costumes + everyone sleeps at Megan's house & gets breakfast in the morning = FUN!
Nicole, let me know if you can possibly go- if you can get up to Springfield I'm sure Anthony wouldn't mind taking you!

That's about it for now...time for dinner, and then Dancing With The Stars!!!!!!! Yes, I'm obsessed with Mario Lopez's triceps, Joey Lawrence's baldness, and even Jerry Springer's antics. It's time for Sara Evans to go home...

Things I Have Learned

1. Do not leave private things out. Children will touch and ask questions. (Miss T., why do you have medicine? Um...give it back please...)
2. Do not leave your good pens out. Children/other teachers may take them! (Now where is my green felt-tipped pen?)
3. If you must reprimand a "cool" kid, do so in front of their friends. Then you can smirk when they all say "Dude, here comes that teacher!" and they shoot you scared looks.
4. Befriend the custodians and the copy-room workers.
5. Completely fill out your time sheet correctly (for us hourly wage workers). Do not try to get extra hours; it will not work! (But it wasn't on purpose, I swear!)
6. "Extra duty" sounds intimidating, but pays much, much more than you could ever hope for. ($23.40 an hour for watching kids eat lunch????)
7. Say "Good Morning" to everyone from the secretary to the school psychologist. You never know when you might need something!
8. Volunteer to get noticed by the principal. Anyone up for some Carnival Fun??
9. Learn where the nearest Starbucks is. This is not optional.
10. Some kids will just melt your heart. "Miss T taught me how to write my name in cursive!!!!! I can do something!!!" (How could you not just go "awwwww"??)

So 2 weeks into this, and I think I've got a pretty good handle on things. I'm really thrilled things are going so well! I now just need that first paycheck (next Friday!!) and things will be MUCH better in checkbook land. Hurray!

Just because!

[ ] You have a boyfriend/girlfriend. {X}*fiance **husband. {}*wife**
[X] You have your own room.
[X] You own a cellphone.
[X] You have an ipod/ mp3 player.
[X] Your parents are still married.
[X] You have more than 2 best friends.
[X] There is a pool or hot tub in your backyard
T OT A L: 7

[X] You dress how you want to.
[] You hang out with friends more than once a week.
[X] There is a computer/ laptop in your room.
[X] You have never been beaten up
[ ] You dont cry more than twice a month
[X] You are allowed to listen to the music you want to.
[X] Your room is big enough for you.
[X] People don't use you for something you have.
[X] You have been to a concert.
T 0 T A L: 7

[] You have over 50 friends on myspace
[] You have pictures on myspace.
[] Your parents let you have a myspace
[X] You get allowance or get money whenever you ask for it.
[X] You collect something normal.
[X]You look forward to going to class. (Yeah, since I teach!)
[X] You don't wish you were someone else.
[] You play a sport.
[X] You do something after class. (after work? drive home...)
T 0 T A L: 4

[X] You [or your parents] own a car.
[X] You usually don't fight with your parent(s).
[X] You are happy with your appearance
[X] You have never got a failing grade in your life '
[X] You have friends
T 0 T A L: 5

[X] You know what is going on in the world.
[X] You care about many people
[X] You are happy with your life
[X] You usually aren't sick.
[X]You know more than one language (Yiddish!)
[X] You have a screen name.
[X] You own a pet.
[X] You know the words to more than 5 songs. (hell yeah, I sing all the time!)
[X] You don't have any enemies
[X] You are happy you're living.
T O T A L: 10

add up all the scores and multiply it by 3


over 100 A+
100-93%: A
92-85%: B
84-77%: C
76-70%: D
69-00%: F


I have earned a 99% A in life

Well, isn't that a relief :-P

And I'm in the working world!

Today was my first "real" day of work/school. Yes, I had staff meetings for the last three days, but today was the first day of school for all of the students. It was really crazy! I thought I would be really out of place, but I just got swept along with everything and before I knew it, it was 4:00 and it was time to go home.
My day starts off with me figuring out the day with my co-teacher at 8:00 AM. (I leave my house around 7:20 and get there around 7:50). I then progress to go outside for morning recess duty from 8:35-9:00. School then starts at 9:00, and I'm either in my classroom with students, or if they are staying with their homerooms for something, I'll be floating with them to help and modify if necessary. At 11:00 is my lunch break, and then from 11:30-12:15 I have lunch/recess duty with the 4th and 5th graders (9 of whom are my LD students). (Non-education people: LD = Learning Disabled). Then from 12:20-1:10 I lead read-aloud, silent reading, and I teach Spelling. (w00t, I get to teach!). From 1:10-3:40 I do classroom things and assist the kids, and then at 3:40 I take a bus line (go bus 103!) out front and make sure my line gets on their bus. By then, it's 4:00 and I go home!
It's a full day, but it goes by quickly and I really enjoyed it today. My 9 LD kids are really sweet, and they already like me. :) "Miss Thome, will you help me? Miss Thome, can you go to music with us?" I am so glad I made this my profession.
Oh, at the end of the day, my teacher said that she is very impressed with me and that next year, I would most definitely be snapped up for a classroom teaching position. Go me. B-)
I can't wait to see my first paycheck!!! Woooo!!!
I'm coming to ISU this weekend, btw, for anyone who will be there. It's Cornfest! My sis & I & my mom are going and so is Derek. I can't wait! If you can't make it, you'd better be there on September 9th for the tailgate & first football game!!! I'm coming!!!

Life rolls on

So Mandy's all moved in to ISU. It was a little weird, setting up her room and going to Wal-Mart, knowing that it wasn't for me. After four years of moving in chaos and setting up things how I wanted it, it was very strange not to. Well, I did have Derek's room to set up :-P His roomie's mom said I did a very nice job and she could tell that it has a "woman's touch" to it. Hahaha.
I start my job on Thursday! It is an inservice that I would get paid for, and then on Friday I have my first school-wide staff meeting. The following Monday I have a district-wide staff meeting, and then a "Meet The Teacher" session that afternoon. Classes start on Tuesday! I'm excited about it :)
This is the website of the district that I'm at: http://www.cusd220.lake.k12.il.us/
The school is Grove Elementary School, in case you want to look!
I'm not up there yet, but I will be soon!!
So that's about it. I'm home just chillin', and then tomorrow I have to go in and sign my contract so it's all official, and then I have to pick up the doggie from the vet's where she was boarded while we were at ISU.
No new plans on the wedding as of yet. Derek has to talk to his advisor and see exactly when he will graduate, and then we'll go off of that.
Finally, is worrying about money going to be a consistant thing for the rest of my life? It's like I have this knot in my stomach, thinking about how to save enough money to eventually get a place to live. My parents are great, don't get me wrong, because they aren't charging me rent to live at home and I really don't have to pay for much, but as a teacher's assistant I don't really make all that much. Hopefully next year I'll get a position as a classroom teacher with a higher salary, but I just wanted that much more to put away and save, you know? I don't think it's just me worrying about this...
Oh well, I suppose I should worry about my first day of work first! What to wear, what to wear... ;-)

HURRAY!!!

I got the job!!!!
I'm going to be a teacher's assistant in a special education classroom, leading small groups in the morning and then facilitating inclusion in the afternoon. I'm so excited to be working in Barrington, and the principal is the nicest woman. I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!

GAK!!

Interview in Barrington tomorrow!! I'll let you know how it goes once it's OVER!

So I'm crazy...

Alright, so the huge rant in the last post- well, I was crazy. I still am kind of crazy, but I have 2 interviews set up for next week and 1 possible (the principal needs to call me tomorrow). One is in Waukegan (I could work at Jacki's school!), and the other is in Barrington! The third one... well, I don't want to jinx it so I'm not going to say unless I have an interview.
That's about it for now...let's hope I get the call tomorrow from the principal I'm waiting on!!

I NEED A JOB

Should I just start walking around on the streets with a sign hanging from my neck proclaiming "I NEED A JOB"??

Although, then I might get offers of things that I'm really not willing or eager to do- say, prostitution, for instance. Aggh!

Seriously though, I feel that if I don't start getting some phone calls for interviews in the next few days, I may start flipping out. I am so stressed beyond belief waiting for job calls... it's unbelievable. I want districts to be fighting over who gets me, not me trying to fight to get a district to even look at me.

*sigh*

I just don't know what else to do! I've filled out all of the online applications to their exact specifications, sent the required paperwork in via email or regular mail, and then... I've been sitting here waiting. Why? Because there is nothing else I can do. Schools aren't open, so I can't go demand to be seen, and I have tried emailing every principal out there, but few have responded so far. What am I missing? Friends of mine are getting jobs left and right in schools around here, so why aren't I? I've received only 3 calls- one in Skokie, which was a no-go, one in Libertyville, which was another no, and one in Waukegan, who has yet to answer the phone or call me back. Where are the Wheeling people? The Buffalo Grove? The Palatine?? I do want to move to Oswego, but why aren't they calling either??

I never imagined life after college could be so harsh. Here I am, with a piece of paper that says I took classes, with a portfolio that took me 4 days to put together, with a new suit that has yet to be broken in, and no phone calls. I guess I was in this rosy bubble of happiness when I graduated ("No more classes! I'll get a job, move into a condo, get married, and live happily ever after!"), and now it has turned more into (I'm quoting SpongeBob here, I know, I'm weird) "The Dirty Bubble" that I can't see out of. I wish I knew what the hell was going to happen in the next few weeks. The fact that I can't write things on my calendar or make plans any time in the future is driving me crazy. I am super organized, but until I get a job, I don't know the school schedule, so therefore, I don't know my schedule.

These next few weeks (heck, days) are going to be so tough. Maybe since tomorrow is August 1st, the principals will all start calling me.

One can only hope, right?