WHOA! Swamped.

Good golly, Molly! I have been on the move NONSTOP for the last week! While I was in North Carolina, I didn't blog one bit! But, I spent time with lover boy aka Cody! It was really, really good to see him. November 2nd cannot come fast enough :) We stayed at a fantastic Bed & Breakfast. The place was absolutely GORGEOUS and we really had great weather (except for the picture below.. in the morning, it was cloudy but by noon, sunny & hot). This trip couldn't have been better!

Oh, hi boyfriend!

Front view of the house.

View from the side.

Carriage house and pool house - we stayed in the pool house (there on the left)!

Little gazebo/tent thing out back - it was lit up at night.. sooo pretty!

The pool, which we could see from our window :)

Back of the house.

I would ABSOLUTELY stay there again... but I'd love to try out a different room... maybe in the main house! :)

I started my Master's program on Tuesday! It's INCREDIBLY overwhelming and I am already ready for the semester to be over.... is that bad to say?? There's just so much work for these 4 classes and it's all online... with a new system... and I'm constantly tired/lazy so I've got to pump myself up and get myself back in the groove of school without procrastinating. I've gotten bad with that word...

Those calendars are just a GLIMPSE into my life for the next three months. That's all the school work I have. That doesn't include volunteering I'm going to do throughout the week or the sub jobs I'll get.... UH, can you say busy!?

Over this weekend, I've got tonight to do some work (boo), tomorrow to do some more work (boo), and Sunday to hang out with family that's coming in town! But, tomorrow I'm also going out for a friend's 21st! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTIN! Cannot wait to see my girls and have a good night out with the 4 of us :)

I also subbed today - where? High school art. WHAT!? It was rough, but I remember being in high school and the feelings these kids have (moody, tired, want to talk to my friends, etc etc etc). So, I totally understood where they were coming from but I still had to have them do work. Sorry kiddos! I have never had so much exposure to design elements, design balance, or how to make a ceramic pot. We watched videos all day... not exactly my cup of tea, but hey - you gotta do what you gotta do.

I'm going to learn how to sew so I can make these. Just sayin'. They're hot/cold rice packs. How cute would these be to give as gifts for Christmas to students or to families? I love them. And I love heating pads - perfect for your hands on a cold fall or winter night at those football games!

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Alright... that's all I've got. If you've read along until here... yay for you! You'll wanna come back next week for a FANTASTIC GIVEAWAY. I can't tell you what it is just yet... but I'll be giving away something(s) amazing after I've given you my take on it/them. I just have to find time to get it/them outta the box & use it/them. WOOHOO!

Have a good weekend, y'all!

My First Jobs & New Design!!

Tuesday was my first day of teaching and it was incredibly successful! 1st graders are totally different than 2nd graders (which is what I'm used to) - that's for sure! You know immediately when you see the kids walk in who are the talkers, the helpers, the need-reminding-ers. To see the smiles on faces of students as well as get a few, "You're the best teacher ever!"'s - even though they have NO idea who I am - makes you feel so happy and love what you do even more. There will NEVER be another job where you get hugs by students you have just met but that are affectionate towards you because they trust you. I love what I do, even if it's just to sub for a day. Teachers have the BEST job in the world :)

Yesterday (Wednesday) was my second day of teaching and it was fantastic. This was my first time experiencing 5th grade, but these kids were absolutely delightful. The teacher I subbed for did only Language Arts... now let me tell you, Language Arts is not my strong point. I've always struggled with grammar and so forth, especially in the younger grades. But, this was a simple day as it was only half day, and the lesson, well, I repeated it twice so I got the hang of it after the first one was done. We worked on vocabulary words (moocher, hospitable, and delectable), and then did some free writing. I was AMAZED at the topics that some of them were writing about. There were things from their trips to Key West to when their Grandmas got cancer to being excited because their parents just got engaged. The length of writing for some of them could have improved, but it was a free write so there were really no expectations. I was very impressed with this class and really enjoyed having the opportunity to teach them. Maybe I will again?!

What I am, though, really, really touched by is how fast some students are forced to grow up due to situations in their lives outside of school. I am impressed that some students have gone through hell and back, yet are still the hardest working students I have ever seen in my life. I've heard of students going through 3 years of cancer, battling it until it was gone, and then continuing on. I've heard of students being abused by their mother or father for years, yet still continuing on. These students are the strongest students I've ever seen, and although they were forced to grow up quicker, it only makes them stronger in the long run. I thought I was being forced to grow up when I had to make the quick decision about my father when he was dying, but man, these children around us are growing up faster than I would ever dream of them to. Kudos to those children for taking their situations and making the best of them.

On a more happy note, I GOT A NEW BLOG LAYOUT!!!! I absolutely adore the way it turned out. Megan, over at I Teach. What's Your Super Power?, has a design blog that she's been working with various people from - it's called A Bird in Hand Blog Design. She has been one of the most patient, hard working people I have ever met, especially after dealing with all my requests. She's diligent and quick in her work, all the time making sure that I enjoyed what she was making. I absolutely LOVED working with Megan and I think if you're in the market for a new design, she's your girl.

I'm on my way out the door to go to North Carolina to see Cody for the weekend! I'll likely not post for a few days... BUT, when I get home... you won't want to miss out on what I'll be posting!! :)

Have a good and safe Labor Day weekend, y'all!

I'VE GOT JOBS!

Hey y'all! It's a happy day where I'm at! I received a call from a local school... where my 7th grade math teacher is now the principal... asking if I wanted to sub! Wahooo! I am so excited that this is where I'll be doing my FIRST subbing jobs!

One will be in first grade and the other in fifth grade. I absolutely HAD to take a picture of the calendars where they're scheduled because I hadn't seen anything on this calendar until now! I am so, so happy and I absolutely LOVE the way things are turning out.

My name is Sara Ventrella and I am now officially a big girl! ;)

I've also won a TOOOON of giveaways that I am excited about... some gift cards, ad spaces, birthday party packs, and so forth. But not only am I happy about winning, I'm happy I'm meeting some AMAZING women. These women are all sincere, funny, honest, and real. They don't care what other people think of them, or of what they write, and I admire them all for that. You all know who you are :) I'm super happy I ventured out into the blogging world beyond education blogs (not that I don't love all my teacher friends I've met on here) and I cannot wait to meet more people as time goes on!

I'm going to leave you with some quotes that describe how I'm feeling <3

BINGO tonight! Have a good day, y'all :)