Liking this song, "Heaven" by Brandi Carlile.

Sorry for the lack of posting; life's been busy but not really exciting (the irony!). Happy almost Thanksgiving!

Thailand Elephant Camp

I'VE FOUND IT! Experiential Learning International offers volunteer spots at an elephant camp in Thailand. Volunteers help take care of the elephants, and teach English. PERFECT!

Save save save save . . .

Doodle 4 Google

Wow, these doodles are really good . . . and there was one from Northern CO!

So, the semester just keeps going. For a curriculum and instruction class, I needed to do an observation of an early childhood interventionist for kids ages 0-3. I got to shadow her for a visit yesterday, and it increased my sense of self efficacy. I can do this job, and be good at it!

I've felt the same way when working at my job. It's like I've finally found a field where I feel confident that I can really help out, and be competent. I hope I can come back to my current school next year; it all depends on if they have a need for my position.

Andres and I are planning on going on a road trip to Wisconsin in July. Some friends have a cabin out there on a lake, and they've invited us to come along. A lot of my relatives are also in Wisconsin, so it might work out well to see them. I'm planning on taking a full load of classes in the summer, though, so I'll have to work something out around that.

For Valentine's Day, we saw "Avatar," and got a pizza from Casbah. I thought "Avatar" was incredible; usually I don't like movies of that genre, but I really felt for the characters and got into the story. I've also been getting these awesome Putumayo World Music CDs from the library. I'm listening to a French Caribbean CD now, check them out if you get a chance.

Anyway, back to work, enough procrastinating . . .

Flying time

A few weeks ago, Dre and I celebrated three years of being together. In August, we'll celebrate our second anniversary :) How time goes!

I met up with my roommate from my freshman year of college last week, and it was so good to re-establish the connection. This year will be the six year mark of our graduation from high school, and subsequent beginning of college. Oh the memories!

Anyway, not much else is happening. My job and classes are going well, and I did some thrift store browsing yesterday and found a tray made of "sovereign New Zealand timbers" for five bucks. It's got a kiwi (the bird) painted on front, and on the back it lists the different kinds of NZ timbers (one of their trademarks) used to make the tray. Definitely brought back some longing for NZ, but a cool find nonetheless.

Still trying to figure out when/ where/ why we can travel next. Things like that always take some time and planning (and funds), though.

New things in a new year

First off, you've probably heard about the devastation in Haiti from the earthquake this week. Please take a few moments to consider donating to relief efforts, and keep those affected (here and abroad) in your thoughts and prayers. Such tragedy; it's hard to not watch and feel totally helpless.

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It has been a while since I've updated. We had a radon mitigation system put in the basement today, and my dad has offered to come up and help us finish the flooring. I'm excited for spring/ summer to roll around so we can spend more time outside, doing landscaping/ gardening and such. The radon mitigator involves this white PVC pipe outside our front door, and I'd like to maybe get a clematis or ivy to grow around it. We don't have any bathtubs (only showers), and eventually I'd like to put in one. My dad has offered to help with that too, but it will probably be a little while before we get to it.

I started a new job close to our new house, and it is going so well. It's part time (which has reduced my stress load incredibly) and at an elementary school. Some of the students have behaviors, but most just need extra help with academic tasks. The kids are great and the teachers and I share good rapport. Everyday is an affirmation that I love helping all kids learn; it's something I guess I just never realized until after my undergrad years. In any case, I am very happy with my place right now.

My second graduate semester started on Monday, and the classes I'm taking revolve around educational psychology, assessment of kids with special needs, and curriculum in the early childhood classroom. The last one I'm really excited about, as I'm trying to figure out what my future classroom will consist of. I met with my advisor and I will be done with coursework after fall 2010, then complete three practicums: one with infants, one with toddlers, and one with elementary aged kids (up to age 8). I'll be done summer 2011.

Speaking of teaching, I found this site on Experiential Learning International from a friend's blog. I looked around at the different programs and fees, and there's one in China I (and I think Andres) would be really interested in. Maybe in summer 2011, after we've had some time to save . . .

The most wonderful time of the year!

I love this time of year! Snow, Christmas decorations, and Advent wreaths always bring such a sense of nostalgia.

We are in the process of buying a house in Loveland, and we may get to close earlier than expected. I put my two weeks in at my job here in Greeley; I can't justify the one hour commute. It was hard not to get emotional when I told the kids I was leaving, as I really do like working with them (even if some days are turbulent).

All of my Master's classes are online, and I'm still looking at being done with practicum in summer 2011 (maybe sooner). I've contacted the Early Childhood Department head with the Loveland school district, and she was enthusiastic about me doing my practicum there. I need to register for the PLACE tests, then I can start practicum in the fall! I've applied for some part time positions in Loveland too; now that we're going to be homeowners, I'd like to have a little more time to maintain our place. Working full time this semester left me with few minutes to spare . . .

Anyway, that's what's new! Happy 2010 (because knowing how often I update, that's probably the next time I'll post on here)!

What a chore, I'm 24

So I turned 24 last week. I used to always think of 25 as the time when I would have a career, house, husband, dog, etc. I'm satisfied with my life thus far, and the ways things have turned out. There's still so much I want to do and accomplish, but that's what the next 24 years are for, eh?

I went to a wolf refuge where my cousin works for my birthday, and he showed us how to feed the wolves. The rest of the weekend was spent lounging around with parents and getting spoiled. Going home is always great.

Speaking of which, we've mostly nixed the Washington idea. The reason for going would be to live by the ocean . . . but what else? Our family and friends are here, and we both have jobs that we enjoy and can build on. So, for now, we're staying put.

Grad school is great, I love what I'm learning and being able to use it. The next month will bring a slew of papers and tests. 1.5 more months to go.

Halloween is in two weeks. It's always been one of my favorite holidays, but we didn't celebrate it last year because we were in New Zealand. The kiwis didn't seem to know what Halloween was, but our Korean flatmates did, and said they wanted to go trick or treating . . . I don't remember if we did or not.

I saw two friends of mine this weekend - one of whom I know from college and the other I hadn't seen since high school - and they really renewed my spirit, such strong, interesting women.

Decisions

So, in about a year, I am looking at doing my practicum for the Early Childhood Special Ed program. Essentially, this is student teaching. I'll spend time with three different age groups of kids, and then I'll get my Master's degree. I've also found the list of course requirements for adding an elementary education endorsement to my license, which I think I'll do.

I need to make a decision before then about where I'm going to do my practicum. We've had the idea of going to Vancouver, WA, for a few years, just for something different. Dre would probably be able to continue with his company there, and I could most likely find a job there after I complete my practicum. But . . . I can't decide to stay in Colorado, or go to Washington, and it's grinding on me.

Washington Pros:

- An hour's drive away from the ocean (where I would love to live)
- Good public transportation
- Close to Portland, OR
- Exploring the Pacific Northwest would be at our fingertips

Washington Cons:

- Far from family and friends
- I'd have to find my own practicum placement, and perhaps submit to more testing (the Praxis)

Colorado Pros:

- Close to family and friends
- I already understand the path to teacher licensure in CO
- Moving expenses would be less $

Colorado Cons:

- Sense of adventure is greatly reduced
- Might regret not going to WA later on

Job, continued

I'm about a month into my new job, and I love it. I felt somewhat intimidated by the kids at the beginning of the year, but now I feel like I have a moderately strong handle on situations when the kids start getting agitated and I need to give them direction. It's always a learning process, but the team I'm with is supportive and communicates expectations for the kids, which helps me out a lot. I'm finding that I'm good at staying calm, collected, and giving stern yet clear directions, which probably was a by-product of working with kids with autism.

Being a para has allowed me to view different aspects of special education through a microscope, and I like being able to connect my job with what I'm learning in my graduate classes. One thing that I've noticed is that not all general education teachers are willing to work with kids with special needs, or accommodate them once they are in the classroom. One of the principles of IDEA (legislation which ensures all children receive a free, appropriate, public education, or FAPE) is that students will be placed in a least restrictive environment (LRE). What this means is that students with disabilities will not be segregated in a room at the back of the school where no one sees them; rather, they will be with their regular peers to the greatest extent possible. However, I've heard about some general ed teachers who single out the special needs kid(s) in their classroom, or hold consistently low expectations for them.

Further, I've heard about special ed teachers who don't have expectations for their students. I was told about a special ed teacher of kids with emotional/ behavioral disabilities who just gave his students puzzles to do, day after day, because "they wouldn't learn anything anyway." Other teachers just let them draw all day. The kids I work with now are in this population, and they WILL learn if they have expectations; I've seen it. They are intelligent; a teacher just needs to unlock it.

Thirdly, one thing I've noticed in the teacher's lounge is that some of the gen ed teachers are very clique-y. Not all of them, mind you, but some of them. It's almost like sitting in the high school cafeteria all over again. Maybe this is just part of the elementary school culture, as I didn't notice this at the junior high school I used to work at. However, at the same junior high school, the teacher I used to work with was confronted by the secretary (who had a daughter with an intellectual disability) about how the money being spent on our severe autism program could be used for students like her daughter. I'm sure that there are a multitude of co-worker challenges I'll encounter in my career, but these are just a few I've noticed so far.

Ay ay ay a lot has been going on.

I started a new job with kids with emotional disturbances; I've been with the kids for four whole school days now. I've worked with kids with autism, severe physical disabilities, and preschoolers . . . but nothing like this, lemme tell ya. I don't know a lot about their histories, but to put it lightly, these kids are very rough around the edges.

I have to wonder what will happen to them in the long run, what with their current behaviors and academic progress. In some ways, though, I feel like I can really relate to the kids. From sixth grade through high school I oftentimes felt completely misunderstood, wrongly categorized, disconnected from other kids my age, and like no one (outside of my family) cared if I succeeded or not. I was a quiet, lonely, insecure kid who didn't dress cool and had a goofy face and stringy hair and had drifted away from my circle of friends from elementary school, making haphazard friendships along the way. I remember one time in eighth grade, the middle school was doing a "Dress Backwards/Goofy" day, and one kid snidely said to me and a few other girls, "You guys just come as you already are!" Another kid perked up, snickered and said to the first, "Hey! You stole what I was going to say to them!" We just sat and stared at our laps.

It's funny the things that stay with you. Maybe that's just the middle school experience. I mean, who really wants to go back to being 14? In any case, I think that's a big reason why I've decided to become a teacher; I genuinely want to make things better for kids who need a little more help. Fortunately, I had a great set of parents and sister to be my support system, but not everyone is lucky enough to have that. I'm not pretending to completely understand what they're going through, but part of their pain resonates in my heart.

So, totally switching gears, I'm disappointed in this. Again, I have the same frustration: how much can one man (read: Obama) really change? Congress seems to be so controlled by special interests and people with money. Is "representative" a misnomer? Maybe these healthcare co-ops are a good idea; I haven't done enough research to know. I'm just disappointed to hear that the public option might be out before we, the people, really heard any of the details of what that might entail.

Here I am again, having procrastinated my Rosetta Stone session until 1:30 am. I've always worked better at night. Freshman year of college I would take showers after studying at four in the morning, and a lot of people thought me crazy. Maybe it's because there's less going on at night, and it's easier to concentrate.

Anyway, on Saturday night we went to Elliot's Martini Bar with some friends. Truly AMAZING drinks there. Dre and I don't frequent bars, but this place had some tasty concoctions. If you go I would recommend the Threesome and Mint on Your Pillow. However, be forewarned that the drinks are pricey . . . another reason why Dre and I only go out on special occasions.

I have about a week left until I get to start at my new job. My schedule at my current job is unusually lax this week. I'm going to try and get some reading done, and Rosetta Stone. I've been meaning to read Hot, Flat and Crowded by Thomas Friedman. I read a lot in New Zealand, but lately it's been hard to find a free moment to really process a book. I will just have to savor every moment.

I'm feeling restless again. On August 19th of last year, Dre and I left to spend four months in New Zealand. I loved it . . . the exhilaration of a new place, the ocean, diving into the unknown.

I've had to accept that it will be harder for us to leave for four months (or longer) again, one of the reasons being that it would not be easy to find someone willing to take care of our animals. However, I'm keen on the idea of a 6 week long volunteer trip. I found this site that offers affordable trips to Vietnam, Kenya, Thailand, and some others. Here is a way to search for different opportunities.

I'd like to look into Asia or Africa; in any case, we'll need to save a little first. Definitely something to work towards!

New beginnings, bittersweet endings

So, a lot has happened this week I guess. I've been hired to be a full time SPED instructional assistant. I will officially start on the first day of school, and meet the teacher a few days before then. I am so excited, and can't wait to get more classroom experience.

I have ordered all my books for my ECSE classes, and decided to drop my morning Spanish class (I couldn't do it with this new job anyway). Dre and I have started Rosetta Stone for Spanish, and so far so good. I'm a little curious if one can learn a language via a computer program . . . I guess we'll find out. I'm one test away from being done with my online graduate research class, and fall classes start August 24.

I will be leaving the long term care place in two week's time. I will miss a lot of the residents, and the tangible sense of helping that I got from working there. Maybe I'll volunteer there, I'm not sure yet.

Dre and I are taking Moby to the Freedom Dog Park in Evans tonight, one of my favorite places ever (and where we spend at least 50% of our nights and weekends). On Saturday we're going to a martini bar to celebrate a friend's birthday . . . it will be casual and fun so I'm looking forward to it.

Longing

Sometimes I feel like I left a big part of my heart in New Zealand. I truly felt alive when Dre and I would walk down to Mangawhai's beach, or we'd play in the ocean. Once we kissed by the moonlight on the beach, and it was more peaceful than anything I could imagine.

I'll be honest: I would go back to New Zealand in a heartbeat if my parents and Dre's parents were to say, "What the hell! Let's relocate too!" If Dre and I were to immigrate to NZ, it would be for good. Maybe we could come home during the summers and what not, but we'd be centralized in NZ. The thing keeping me here is that I know our families will want to be around when we have kids, and I will want to be here to take care of our parents when they get older.

A few weeks ago, Dre and I helped clean up after the demolition derby at the Greeley Stampede. Our job was to pick up all the trash people left behind. The Stampede includes all of your regular big event fare . . . nachos, soda, funnel cakes, etc.

After the entire stadium had been cleaned up, I counted at least 30 bags of trash. It broke my heart. At one point, I opened up some of the trash bags and started filling up a recycling container by one of the exits with plastic bottles, cups, whatever would go in. After about two bags, the container was full.

Just imagine how much of that stuff going to the landfill could have been recycled!! It kills me to think about it. It also kills me to think that some people in our society will label recycling advocates as "hippies" or "treehuggers," and refuse to change their ways. Have they seen what our waste is doing to the oceans?

There's a giant mass of trash in the Pacific called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch. It apparently holds 100 million tons of crap, and stretches 500 nautical miles off the Californian coast. According to this site, 90% of all trash in the oceans is plastic, with every square mile containing 46,000 pieces.

How hard would it have been for those people at the Stampede to drop their soda bottle or beer can into a recycle bin on the way out? It makes me crazy!! A quick search on Google images with the query "Great Pacific Garbage Patch" reveals the skeleton of an albatross that mistook plastic for food, its body filled with the stuff. It's awful.

What needs to happen so that we change this?

I was just reading about this surgeon, Dr. Bryan Mahan; I went to school with the guy's kid. Mahan is being named in a lawsuit for throwing human tissue at a nurse during an open heart surgery and joking about it. Apparently he had harassed her before the incident, and when she complained the hospital demoted her and took no action against Mahan.

Firstly, mad props to her for not backing down (given these claims are valid). Secondly, it's infuriating to think the hospital did nothing. Apparently common decency ain't so common.

Nurse sues Memorial, claims surgeon threw human tissue at her

June 26, 2009 - 7:07 PM
JOHN C. ENSSLIN

THE GAZETTE

A nurse has sued Memorial Hospital, charging that shde was demoted after complaining about a heart surgeon tossing bloody tissue at her during an operation.

The eight-page complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court by Sonja Morris alleges that Dr. Bryan Mahan tossed the 4-by-6-inch piece of tissue at her, hitting her on the leg during an open-heart surgery in August 2008.

She contends Mahan made a joke about it to the other surgeons, saying, "Oh (expletive), I hit her. Can we get cultures on that?"

Morris said she felt humiliated as the other surgeons chuckled.

Mahan could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.

Morris claims that the incident was part of a pattern of harassing behavior by Mahan toward her.

She also alleged that in June 2008, Mahan came up behind her and hit her in the head.

She told him to stop, but two weeks later, he did it again, the suit alleged. Again she asked him to stop.

Chris Valentine, a spokesman for the hospital, declined to comment on the lawsuit.

"Obviously, because it's in legal hands, we're not in a position to comment," he said.

Mahan is the chairman of cardiac and thoracic medicine at Memorial. He is not named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

Morris has worked at the hospital as a nurse since June 1999. She has been a member of the heart surgery team since October 2007.

The incident with the bloody tissue occurred on Aug. 28, 2008, after normal working hours during an operation in which doctors were doing a procedure known as a pericardiectomy.

The surgery involved removing a protective layer of tissue from the heart. Morris contends that was the bloody tissue that Mahan tossed at her. She said she was standing at a work station about 15 feet away from the operating table.

Because the operation was still in progress, she was unable to immediately clean the part of her leg that the tissue hit.

She filed a complaint about the incident but said that resulted in no disciplinary action.

On Dec. 10, she filed a notice of claim against Mahan and the hospital. Her complaint to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission alleged that she was subjected to a hostile work environment because of her gender.

Seven days later, she said hospital administrators removed her from the heart surgery team, considered a prestigious position, and transferred her to the main operating room.

The suit alleged that this action violated her First Amendment rights to petition the hospital to correct something she considered wrong.

So, a few weeks ago Dre was walking Moby, and a dog started following them home. The dog was drinking out of rain puddles and eating scraps of whatever off the sidewalk, and had matted fur; Dre brought him home and after feeding him we took him to the Weld County Humane Society.

He's on the WCHS website now, under the name "Albert." He's 1.5 years old, and supposedly a Australian Shepherd mix. He's very friendly, smart, and would make a great dog. We'd adopt him if we could. If you or anyone you know is looking to adopt a dog soon, I encourage you to check him out.

Weld County Humane Society: http://www.weldcountyhumane.org/adopt_a_pet.aspx

We went down to Springs this weekend for the Starlight Spectacular, a bike ride through Garden of the Gods that goes from midnight to 4am. It was great fun, and although I made it, I realized I really need to get fit again. There was an old Schwinn stationary bike on craigslist for $45, and I got it.

Other than that, work is going well. I got my CDL permit, and have been learning to drive the bus. It's not as bad as I expected. I still really like the residents, and the people I work with. I'm working at least 30 hours each week, which is good to save up for school. Speaking of which, I emailed UNC to inquire about the status of my application, and the Early Childhood SPED coordinator emailed me back and said I had been accepted. I contacted the licensure officer, and I'm signed up for all the right teacher prep courses. So, exciting.

I want to work with kids who might not have the same opportunities as their counterparts. I'm taking Spanish in the fall, and am going to seek out a student teaching position in a school that would provide that experience. I've been thinking a lot about adoption too lately, and I like the idea of having one baby, and adopting another, either through foster care or otherwise. Like I said, we're not planning on kids for awhile, but it's something to think about.

Dre and I have almost been married one year! We're thinking of taking a trip down to Texas for our one year anniversary; we have some airline vouchers we got as a wedding gift, and we might be able to arrange a condo by a beach. We'll also see his family, which will be cool. I just need to arrange time off work, we'll see.

So I found a blog template that looks like the cliff walk in Mangawhai Heads, where we ran the hostel in New Zealand. I have really been missing New Zealand recently, particularly the sea and living in a less urban locale. We've ruled out going back in the immediate future, as it would be too much of a sacrifice to leave family and friends behind, but maybe someday.

Another thing I've been thinking a lot about lately is adopting kids. Becoming a mommy is still a few years off, but adopting is something that Dre is in favor of. From what I've heard, adopting from the United States is difficult, and adopting from overseas is expensive. I have been warming up to the idea of adopting internationally, but there's still a part of me that wants to have the whole 9 months pregnancy-birth-infant bonding experience. Sometimes I ask myself why I wouldn't adopt, since there are so many kids/ babies who need a family, and we'd be doing a lot of good. I don't know how I feel about it all for sure, I guess I'll have to do more research and let it all sink in.