School 4 Life!!!

Alright, so I've resigned myself.  I always knew that school would be a major part of my life since I've wanted to be a teacher since I can remember, but after looking over some things today, well it seems as though this educational hole I've dug for myself is about to get a little bit deeper.

I always thought that I would be in and out of college in four years, no problem. I even remember sitting in an orientation for Humboldt University (wanted to go.  Glad I didn't.) where there was a student talking about how he was in his fifth year and I remember scoffing at the thought and thinking how he's probably just some lazy cheeto-fingered stoner. WRONG!!  It's me!!  I'm the cheeto-fingered stoner!! (sort of, not really.) But it's my fifth year and I'm nowhere close to done. This isn't for my lack of trying, but rather because of the chaos the university system is in right now.  I'm currently an Engish major, one of hundreds at my university.  Most of the upper division courses I need have one measly section offered that holds 40 seats max, not to mention they're mosty morning classes.  These classes are usually a no-go for me because 1) I work regular hours like many many other adults! and 2) The chances of me getting into these coveted classes is nill because of the limited availability of seats.  And forget waitlists, these days many professors are told by their department NOT to accept any waitlisted students, that they can't afford it. 

Excuse me, wait.  They can't afford it??  What about my peers and me who are paying thousands to be a full-time student and can only snag a few classes? 

I'm not going to get into the money aspect of this..thats reserved for a later post.  *Spoiler alert*  Federal student loans are BULLSHIT!! After a year of fighting for my student loan in a process that I'm still losing sleep over, I'm relatively sure I'll do whatever I can to NOT have to deal with this everrrrrrrrrr again.

Alright, stepping off my political soapbox here.  Basically here is what's happening.  I'm absolutely off my rocker and am making a decision that I'll probaby kick myself for during the next few years.  The people around me will probably kick me too, they have permission, because they'll have to suffer just being around me.  Yea, there will be suffering.  But *hopefully* in the long run this will be the best decision I could have made.

Remember how I said I thought I'd be out of college in 4 years?  Well that also means I never thought I'd be switching my major during my FIFTH year.  yep.  Former English major, meet new Liberal Studies major with a concentration in Exceptional Children and Youth...with a possible additional concentration in English.

Crazy?  Yea, I know.

Flying Around With the Seat of My Pants Cut Off

That's a quote from me that I said earlier this week.  After I said it I realized that I had combined the phrases "flying by the seat of my pants" and "running around like a chicken with its head cut off."  Yep.  That means I've been busy enough to not even have time to untangle cliches about being so crazybusy!! BUT it just so happens that the confusion of two cliches about crazybusymadnessinduction completely works to summarize just whats been going on over here... so I rolled with it.

I spent the beginning of my week completely stressed about assignments and work and student loans and working out and what I was going to pack for lunch the next day and when I would do my laundry and whether it was going to rain and "oh please car I know you're way past empty but please please make it to the bank so I can get there and back before my lunch break is over!  I'll be your best friend!" and how many licks it takes to get to the center of a tootsie pop... and then!  Tuesday morning I played indoor hockey with the kids at work. 

For 90 minutes.  It was complete fun madness and it took me away from all of these stresses for our ungodly long PE session that sunny Tuesday morning. I love times like this where I get to bond with these kids. Times that make me so thankful for my job and my future and remind me not to sweat the small stuff.  After it was over I wiped my face down with some baby wipes, shrugged off the fact that my makeup was ruined from this point, and was ready to let the adreneline push me through the rest of my day. But what I didn't realize was how much of a workout I was getting while simultaneously trying not to accidently smack a kid in the shins with my plastic hockey stick, and using it as a shield from my Troublemaker kid who gets a kick out of holding his in the air over his head and wacking it on the ground as hard as possible....

Until the next morning.  Boy was Miss Amanda sore.  For 3 days.  I'm talking sore all over too.  Back, legs, arms, HANDS.   So I spent the rest of my week like that pantsless flying chicken, who this time had aged approximately 40 years.  No big.

I got through my week and was thankful for the hockey sesh.  I had a pretty darn good weekend too. :) 

So I've been hovering over the 'New Post' button for like a month now with a few vague post ideas and even more of what I've coined 'what-the-hell-am-I-going-to-write-on-this-thing-itis'.  I've been reading so many awesome blogs out there that my little baby blog aspires to be!!..but I haven't been writing.  I think maybe (maybe??) this is because I haven't given myself much of a starting point.  Most of the blogs I love give me some sort of chapter-Esq info on the author... they've established a background..and in each post they can write about things in their life that I, the reader, am familiar with.  So maybe that's where I'm stuck.  Nothing to roll off of.  You smell what I'm steppin in?  Good.  Now here's my attempt at executing said starting point...

My name is Amanda.  I was born and raised in central California where I currently reside, and my day-to-day frenzy is something I hope to never take for granted.  By frenzy, I mean I'm busy.  In a rather major way.  And I'm always somehow wanting to take on more.  (Like this blog perchance?)

I'm a college student at a local University.  Can't wait to be a certified teacher in the next few years!!  I work at a middle school in a Special Handicap class.  If I could just come home and write about everything that happens there I'm certain I would not only have a massive fan base but I will have endeared the hearts of many to the amazing kids I work with.  Unfortunately I just can't do this because names and details would make things rather sticky...  All you need to know is that I love those kids, and the occasional feeling of ohmygodIamgoingtopullmyhairoutrightnowthissecond!! is worth it x10000009 for what I get out of those kids.

I've always wanted to be a part of a big family but my small tight-knit family is more love and entertainment than I sometimes know what to deal with.  One of my best friends ever is my brother Nick.  Nick has Down Syndrome.  I only mention this because it's what led me to my passion at work, and probably my passion for teaching in general.  I never think of Nick as 'different',  he's my brother and he was made the only way I know him.  In fact most nights I think of him as "the crazy guy in the next room banging on his drums and singing Johnny Cash at 11pm...WHY IS HE STILL DRUMMING AT 11PM!?"   And I friggin  love him. 

I also friggin love my boyfriend.  He shares my love of reality television, making up a song for every situation, and laughter at inappropriate situations. 

Phew!! I think that'll just have to do for now.. now grow baby blog, grow!