what i learned this week...

...but first some pictures to get you in the spirit...

the sweetpea/ham I work with every day:




































the girls:











my leprechaun boyfriend (looove his mischievious grin):



























Sometimes work is stressful and you have days when the kids refuse to listen, fight, bite, cry, don't try, etc. But ultimately how can you not love these kids? And not try your best to encourage them in who they are as students and even more who they are as individuals?

So this week I learned:

-Conference week sucks. Every teacher in NMUSD is burnt out this week as a result. And thus I fell on my bed after work at 6 and woke up at 8:30pm.
-My cooking skills are improving. Cooked this week: stir-fry, honey banana wheat bread, whole wheat pasta with tomato pesto and garlic sauce with added pine nuts, chicken, more garlic, and mmm red wine.
-Adulthood is stressful. So many responsibilities.
-I miss my family and friends a lot. They should all move from their hundreds and thousands of miles away to southern cal.
-Missing my brother's 18th birthday was really hard this week. But he wasn't a stranger. He called and left one of his messages today. This time he was selling me drugs. (note: he was pretending) I guess you have to know him to understand why that's funny...
-Assumptions are bad. My roommates are questioning my claims that I'm not good with boys since the majority of my guests (that they've seen and met) are male and fairly good-looking. My friend was over for dinner the other night and I have completely platonic affection for him, but as soon as he left they were telling me how cute he is and asking why I don't like him. ugh. For the record--I am not a flirt, I am not a tease, I am NOT good with boys, and just because a guy is attractive and we're friends doesn't mean I like him. Besides I am only interested in one guy and it is NOT him and I don't care how "hot" you think he is.
-I took a spiritual gifts test on the internet for my lifegroup (http://www.kodachrome.org/spiritgift/) here are my top 6 gifts (apparently):

tied for #1: voluntary poverty and writing
tied for #2: encouragement and faith
tied for #3: pastoring and discernment

and my bottom 6:

apostle
administration
healing
celibacy
tongues (speaking)
tongues (interpreting)

Definitely interesting. But voluntary poverty? I never would have expected that. I did expect celibacy to be low... haha And pastoring? Hmm
-I think I could have leadership potential. Well I hope so since I want to be a teacher...
-I'm learning and changing a lot. And its good.
-I laid in bed the other night thinking about God and it was just one of those moments, and I realized that one day I'll be married and quiet moments alone like that will be harder to come by. So until that day comes I will appreciate all the alone time I have in the meantime.

in closing... Happy St. Patrick's Day! Eat, drink, be merry, and remember the trinity. According to wikipedia, they turn the Chicago river green. There's not as much Irish spirit around here anymore since my grandpa's gone.

And in memory of my grandpa George James McCafferty II who looooved this day... kiss someone, after all he always said a kiss is the best thing in the world.