A Day Wasted

Or so it seems. My first day at home since they decided at the high school that enrollment wasn't high enough to retain me in a full time position. It was a mixed blessing to be sure. I realized within a few days that the site wasn't exactly right for me. The students were admittedly more than I could handle, and most of the days I taught there, a legitimately volatile situation happened.

I have been exposed to different types of problems when it comes to schools: drugs, alcohol, teen pregnancy, and gang affiliations. I have dealt with specific students and their individual hurdles that prevent their ability to learn and thrive in the educational setting. However, the students in my classes these past three weeks are currently dealing with these issues, and not very well at that. On more than one occasion, students jokingly asked me if I had a joint for them to buy, and whether I drank (and if I did, could they please come over for a party.)

Granted these were sometimes said in jest, but these students were misguided in where the line falls between an appropriate relationship with an adult, let alone an educator, and another drug-doing, illegal drinking, sexually over-active teen. I apologize if my tone comes across as cynical, that is not my intention. Its simply that after three weeks of students raising their voices in absolute protest of an assignment or a direction, deliberate shows of defiance and walking out of my classroom, and countless pictures and poems of and about penises (drawn during my instructional time), I feel that this placement was too much for me to handle alongside a new marriage (more important), setting up a new house (more important), and beginning a new life in San Diego (still more important).

Hence, I will be a substitute for the district, and the school has been very receptive to hiring me per diem as well. A mixed blessing in itself. Same kids, but at least I don't need to expose myself to the same issues every day. Instead, I have the ability to accept or decline jobs, so I'll have the time off when I need to emotionally recharge myself. Prayer is appreciated.

On another note, Levi is very happy with his job. He is currently working on a project that redesigns the 72 highway, and updates it according to the newest CalTrans surveys...we'll see if the renovations happen. Currently it is an explorative assignment. More updates on whether you should get excited when you drive on that specific on/off ramp to come! ;) (Seriously, take pictures. He'll be famous.)

Hey! And good news! We'll be visiting New Mexico with my parents to spend Christmas Eve/Day with Ouma and Oupa, and then fly to Boston/Providence by way of Chicago/Dallas to attend the Ryan Family Reunion in RI. So we'll spend New Years with the hubby's side. Ooh, and we get to spend Christmas a week early with the Lake Elsinorians. So we get Christmas twice this year. Perhaps juggling families isn't that bad after all. ;)

Love to all,
The Ryans

Wow-WEE

We are finally settling in down here in la Holla'. I mean la jolla. ;) our house is really cramped with all the boxes, but a major accomplishment yesterday was clearing the floor in the bedroom and living room. yay. enough to vaccuum. and the laundry (all seven loads) was done too! :)

we are heading up to jehaan and julie's wedding tomorrow, so i'm not looking forward to more time in a car, but seeing all our friends again will make up for it! :)

last noteworthy thing to post: i got a pseudo-job today! I'll start as a sub for a week, and if enrollment is enough to warrant a contract, i'll be offered a position! :) yay.

besitos.

OMG

fewer than six days until we are married! we are sooo excited to be partying it up with all of our very special friends.

did the seating today. joy!

I had the most amazing bachelorette party last night! It was intimate, with a few very close friends. And i very dearly missed those close friends that couldn't make it last night. it was exhilarating to ride a mechanical bull! SO fun! the bartenders were so nice, and the dancing on the stage with the dj was hilarious! My poor sister was only 18, so i don't think that anything was quite as funny to her, but it seemed she still got her kicks and giggles in! and that's all the information i'll divulge online. ;)

i hope you are all having blessed weeks in your own lives, i look forward to seeing you all on Saturday!

ps: i love levi.

Waiting

90 hours and 20 minutes till Jillian's plane arrives.

Babies!

No, not the human kind...

Levi and I got kittens yesterday! We have a black one and a black and white one. As of yet, unnamed. :) Any ideas? They are sooo precious...just not so precious when they're potty training...whew. I'm exhausted, and feeling the single mom syndrome...to a pathetic degree i'm sure any real mom would argue. :P

My babies:

A job!

Hey! I forgot to mention how wonderful the Lord has been in the case of my job searching! A definite blessing from God, I basically asked for a position at a private school a couple of months ago. The principal told me to get in touch with him later on, that he had no idea if he would be able to hire me or not, or whether they would be enough students for a class. Well, the school called me last week and asked for an interview, to which I most certainly agreed, and I got a phone call just two days later from the VP asking me to "come on board"!!!! Isn't that amazing! Coincidentally, this happened just after a few "trusting in the Lord to provide" series of sermons at my church. Ha! He is amazing!

now for the reality...can i handle 60 seventeen year olds for a whole school year?! :P I'll have to leave that one to God.

eek is right.

Ready for another great, big "check"??? (please forgive the punctuation error)

The favor supplies come this weekend.

eek. :)

But i will call upon my trusty pals to construct these suckers, and we should be off to a fantastic start. this week: meeting with the hairstylist and Aunt Barb again, to go over some more ideas. yay!

Not gonna lie though, God is really putting me through the wringer with this wedding planning. earlier in the process, I have definitely felt very alone, with Levi not being around and such. But that void has enabled a lot of wonderful women to come out of the woodwork, and into the guiding light, so to speak. :) My mom has great friends. I really love those women.

Love, Jillian