the Terminator doesn't cry...

Ok this is probably going to sound a lot like my last blog…but not much is going on these days…

I am just wiped out today. I really really can’t complain about my kids in comparison to the 7th graders…or a lot of other classes probably. But today they were really rowdy. And I am just so emotionally drained. I have grading to do but I have no mental energy! I hate yelling at them, but sometimes that is really the ONLY thing that will get their attention. Anyway, despite an occasional bad day (or bad month? lol) it’s still a good time.

Tomorrow was supposed to be a half day, and then no school on Friday (for Nuclear Day), but apparently Lenney JUST found out it is celebrated on Monday instead…so now we’re having school Friday and not Monday and everyone’s lesson plans are all messed up. Oh island culture…you get me every time. For example, we went to the coaches’ meeting for the tournaments, but the guy was drunk so we rescheduled it. Then he was “tired” so they put it off again. Then they had it without us. Haha…whatever!!

Tomorrow we’re having the SA banquet at MIR. Should be fun. It’s on the rarest of occasions that we dress up and try to look half decent…then Friday we’re hiking to Kalalan to camp for the weekend. I’m not much of a camping girl…hopefully I can pack light enough and survive. Haha nah I’ll be fine. It will be nice to have NO Marshallese people watching us live, or students for that matter! Totally free to be. Next weekend we’re going to Arno to camp…so two weeks from now I’m gonna be pretty pooped. Too bad our Spring break is so late! (April 5-9 WHY!??)

We have been taking some hilarious videos of ourselves in the apartment lately. (Well it’s funny to us at least…lol.) Basically just random videos of what we normally do. I have a feeling I will cherish these videos in a few months when we’re all split up and Majuro seems like a faraway dream.

I only have 10.5 more weeks of school left! It seems long but it is really not enough time. I would like to request that anyone reading this please pray for my 22 students. I’m 100% convinced they are the greatest kids in the whole world! Today one asked me if I was going to cry when I leave…hah…silly kid. Of course not.

Mundane Mondays

Yesterday marked 3 months till I fly away...

This month has been a bit of a drag. I love my students more and more every day, but I'm getting a little sick of being in the same place with the same people doing the same thing every day. I really don't have anything to complain about...but I sure do feel like it a lot! But whenever I sit down and actually think about being back in the States I realize I'm going to miss this a lot. So I really am enjoying the rest of my time here.

For Valentine's Day each of the girls drew one of the boys' names, and we asked them to be our valentine. Since Ben is a nerd I made him a quiz and the last question was: "Will you be my valentine?" haha He was really excited and to my surprise picked me up and swung me around. We all dressed up and went out for dinner. Sadly we wanted to go to the Stonehouse or Monica's but they were both closed. So we went to MIR. But it was still fun.

Other than that it's been the same old same old. February is a pretty bland month. Although the next 2 weekends we're planning on camping. And this Thursday is the SA banquet...we'll see how that goes. Hopefully the volleyball and basketball tournaments will start soon. It was supposed to have started by now, but island time interferes once again...

So January was here and gone like good food around here...and now it's February. I had heard these months are the roughest, but last month was great I thought! Well this week could definitely change my mind. I thought the fact that my students and I were more comfortable with each other would make things easier...but now it's starting to go the other way. They're still a great class, just way more rambunctious now. Sigh...as long as I get my sleep I can handle it. :)

A lot of stuff has been starting up recently. The SMs run Friday night vespers at the church here, but we wanted to do a little something geared more toward the students. So we have a program called "Impact" that will hopefully draw a few students in. Pathfinders is also going now. I was never a Pathfinder so this is my chance! haha...It's funny I have no clue how to march. I really like having a chance to interact with my students outside of class too. They're so funny I just love them.

A couple days ago we met with coaches from other schools about the upcoming basketball and volleyball tournaments. SDA (girls' volleyball) has won the past few years so I feel pretty confident. We solidified the team, and today we scrimmaged Co-op (school next door) and beat them! It's so fun interacting with the girls and watching them play. They're so good!

Upcoming events: spelling bee against Co-op next Friday. My students are really smart so I can't wait to go watch them! And the end of this month is the SA Valentine's banquet. We've decided (the teachers) to draw names out of a hat and pair up. It should be fun!

A praise to God---we got hundreds and hundreds of new textbooks and hundreds of other new books for the library! Way too many for us to handle so it's definitely a miracle. I know a lot of the teachers didn't even have textbooks for some subjects (especially lower grades) so we're pretty thankful.

I might be starting up violin lessons soon with one of my students. I can hear the squeaks already....ahh! lol But I'm actually excited about it! If only my violin would get here. And who can complain about a little extra spending money...