The countdown begins... ;)

I love countdowns, and I just want to have something that keeps track of how many days until the wedding for me.  Sorry this is a boring post, but it's mostly for my benefit. :)

Also, today we got to go to Piece pizzeria for the first time ever, and it lives up to the hype. I would go out on a limb and say that this is the best pizza I've had in my entire life! Delicious.

STRIKE!!

So, here it's supposed to be my students' second full week of school, and instead of greeting them at the classroom door at 7:45 this morning, instead I slept in until 9:30 this morning... Under other circumstances I would probably be happy about this, because who would really rather be working instead of relaxing at home?...However, the reason I am at home and not teaching is because the Chicago Teachers Union is on strike until further notice.

They gave their walk-out notice last night at 10pm...

Here is what the CPS School Board President, David Vitale had to say about negotiations:
http://www.wbez.org/news/education/video-chicago-school-board-president-david-vitale-says-best-offer-table-102297

...and here is what Karen Lewis, head of Chicago Teachers Union had to say:
http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=8804275

So, I am at home until further notice! If the strike continues through Wednesday, then on Wednesday I will go to National Louis to continue my Master's coursework. If not, I will be back in school teaching!

I am just glad that AUSL made the decision for us to not have to cross the picket lines to teach.  I would rather stand in solidarity with the Chicago Teachers Union than to go against them, and I do believe in the demands they are making.  Teachers deserve respect!! It's just sad that it has to come to this, but something has to be done about it!

All sorts of grown-up moments

Tomorrow is a big day, a grown-up day. Tomorrow, I meet twenty-three little second graders who I will be spending the whole year with!  Tomorrow, I get completely inducted to the AUSL "way."  Apparently, the first week is extremely tense and all the staff is extremely hard on the kids.  This will be a lot different than what I am used to with suburban kids from Indiana!

Last week was the professional development week for Curtis School of Excellence, so I got to meet  all the staff and kind of learn the ropes on the school.  I'm glad that we had it, but I really think that we could have had two days of professional development instead of a whole week.  Half of the time we were just working in our classrooms, and my mentor already had her room set up for the most part.  But I am just SO excited to get started with the kids tomorrow! I don't know how much time I will actually have to write about it this week, but as soon as I can, I will put an update on here! :)

I also had a grown-up weekend! Letteer and I set a wedding date--June 22, 2013! :) Last week I got started on booking appointments to look for a reception site in Indiana.  Over the weekend, I went to several places and I think we found the place! :) Unless I find another place between now and then, we will be having our reception in the Rinehart Gathering Barn in Burlington, Indiana! It is where Letteer's sister had her wedding reception, and it is gorgeous! Let me just say that I already think that wedding plan is super fun, but also super overrated, mostly because it is expensive!!

Time flies when you're having fun...

I can not believe that I have been in Chicago for almost two months now! Time has really flown by. Not only that, in just FIVE days I will be starting professional development at Curtis! :o) AHH! I've been working in the classroom with Marquita and Sara to get everything set up for our kiddos, and I have a feeling that this is going to be a great year!!

In other news, Letteer and I have a new addition to our family. Meet Eva!!

We adopted this precious girl from PAWS Chicago on August 12.  I finally got Letteer to take me to PAWS...just to look, of course. ;) We filled out an adoption survey, and looked at the kittens and young adults room.  After wavering between three cats, while in the young adults room, we looked up and saw Eva peering in at us through the glass from a separate room.  So, we asked the volunteer with us if we could see her.  

Apparently, Eva was in the Level 2 room, which means that she has a bite on her record.  So, the volunteer had to get someone who was Level 2 certified to take us in, plus we signed a waiver before we went in to see her.  While we were waiting to be let in, we could see how playful and curious Eva was.  She was standing against the window pane, looking at us again.  Once we got in and were able to actually be around her, we saw that she was as playful, sweet, and curious as she seemed.  The bite on her record was from her previous adoptive parent who was bit while putting Eva in her pet carrier.  That owner brought Eva back to PAWS after just five days there. Now, if you are a cat person at all, you would know that most cats HATE to be put in their pet carrier, so it is not odd for a cat to bite at that time. 

Letteer and I decided that Eva was the best choice for us, and we took her home that day. We've had her for almost two weeks now, and I haven't regretted the decision yet! Eva follows us all around the house and meows at us to let us know she's looking for us. I'm sure Letteer would agree with me when I say that the house feels more like home now with our Eva, kitty. :) 

Home Sweet Home

I came back to Frankfort on Friday after classes. It felt so weird having Frankfort as my destination for a weekend away, instead of Chicago! But it has definitely been a good time being home for a few days. I have had a chance to see everyone at home that I wanted to catch up with, and I still have time to just chill with my family. 

On Friday afternoon, before I came home, I received a call from my mentor teacher, Marquita. She is SO wonderful.  I can already tell that we will get along so well.  I am feeling really positive about this after having a not-so-great student teaching/mentor teacher experience. Marquita seems genuinely excited to have me in her room, and I can hear and feel the passion that she has for her students and  teaching! I am so ready to be around people who actually want to teach! It's so inspiring and contagious when you are surrounded by people like that.

I am looking forward to tomorrow. My mom took the day off, so we are going to get pedicures and go shopping in Lafayette. It will be awesome to have some time with just the two of us before I head back to Chicago. Oh, and I might be sort of excited to get back home to Letteer! ;)

Life in Grad School

The past three weeks have been jam-packed with classes, research, readings, and papers. I am exhausted and my brain is full from so many new ideas. I am the busiest with school that I have ever been in my life.  It feels like I don't have time for anything else...Funny, because at the AUSL meet-and-greet, Scott Sullivan warned us it would be this way.  He told us to be prepared to tell friends, no sorry I can't hang out this week, I have to read. I thought that since I was coming out of undergrad, my study habits would be fresh, so it would come easily to me. Since then, I have been reading about 200 pages (give or take) each night, with additional assignments on top of that. Tonight is the first night that I have had a chance to actually process anything that has been happening!

In the midst of being so busy at school, I have met some pretty spectacular people in my cohort!  I have made a couple friends that have definitely helped me get through these last couple weeks.  I don't feel so homesick now, which helps out tremendously.  I've gone out bowling and for drinks with a couple of the girls.  Letteer even came out with all of us.  

Letteer and I have had visitors every single weekend since I've been up here.  The first weekend it was my mom, Neal, grandma, and grandpa. The next weekend it was his parents, and then last weekend it was my dad and Shawn.  Now this coming weekend Letteer will be going to NYC with Rob and Danny, and I'll be heading home for the weekend!  I am ready to have a weekend just to stay in one place and not do a thing...but I have a feeling those days might be gone! :) 

On Friday, I found out my placement for my training year at AUSL.  I will be at Curtis School of Excellence, teaching second grade with a girl who is already in my cohort, Sara.  I am SO glad that we got paired together, and I can't wait to start teaching on September 4th! :) Our school is on Regular Track, which means we start later, but we have shorter breaks than Track E schools.  But, I am COMPLETELY fine with having a month off from course work. So, this Friday will be my last day of going to class every week day.  I will only have to go on Fridays after that. I will be enjoying this break as much as I can, because the real work starts in the classroom on September 4th! 

This is Really Happening!

This has been such a quick and emotional week. On Thursday, I said goodbye to my two best friends. On Friday, I said good-bye to my dad, grandma, grandpa, brother, aunt and uncle. Then yesterday was the big day! We loaded down my step-dad's truck, and I moved up to the Windy City. We even took my POS car that I've had since I was 16, and fortunately it didn't fall apart on the way. :) The move was easy, and I didn't take out my stress (too much) on my Mom, Neal, and Letteer during the day.  It feels good to have my room set-up and over half of the rest of the place organized and ready to go. 

So, today is for buying curtains for our large fishbowl windows and all kinds of other touches of home. :) Today is also for resting, because tomorrow I sign my contract for AUSL and begin grad school. YAY. :) 

The Little Things

Today, my 43 year old uncle got married for the first time in his life.  It was a small wedding, with just family and their closest friends, which was nice.  Velma asked me to sing at the ceremony, so I sang the song that I sang at my mom and Neal's wedding six years ago.  It was great just to be surrounded by family!

                                     

On our way home, my brother and his girlfriend (Hannah,) and I were talking about how some people notice little details about people--their mannerisms, in particular.  I found out, for example, that Hannah changes the placement of her straw when she is sipping from a cup. She'll take a sip with the straw in the right corner of her mouth, then the next sip from the middle of her mouth, and then again on the left side of her mouth. My brother (who is not the first to notice) told me that I swish my drink around in my mouth every time I take a sip of my drink.  Tiger Woods swings his driver and kicks his leg out immediately after hitting a good drive. 

This got me thinking about other "little things" that I have not been attuned to about people. I saw on Twitter the other day my best friend since second grade eats all the way around her sandwich and then saves the middle bite for last. We've been friends ALL that time, and I have never noticed that little thing about her.  It made me wonder what I have been missing by just not paying attention to the little details about people! Leave a comment and let me know what little things you do that other people probably wouldn't immediately notice about you! :) 

But You Can't Slow Down...

Monday night was my "Meet and Greet" for AUSL.  I got to meet all of the mentor resident coaches, and a few of the fellow teachers who will be in my cohort for the training year. The Meet and Greet was held at the National Teacher's Academy...where I had my very loooong interviews for AUSL in December.

I remembered what they said to us at the end of our interview day, "Look to your right and left, you could be looking at someone who will become your friend and your cohort next summer." At that point, I was just trying not to get my hopes up, and it just seemed so far away. Being there again this week, I just felt so proud of myself for going completely out of my comfort zone to become a teacher in this organization. 

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On another note, I can not believe that in TEN days Letteer moves into our new place! :o) Then I'll be up there less than a week later! :) It is finally starting to sink in now that I am down to just two weeks. So far everyone in my family has been really supportive--except my grandma. She is who I am closest to at home, so it's no wonder that she would be upset.  She won't tell me she doesn't want me to go, but she gets teary every time I bring it up. I think it will take me awhile to get used to not coming home so often to see her and everyone else, but I will adjust...I'll have to. :) 

I said, "Yes!"

On February 12, 2006, after picking me up at my house, the boy I had been talking to for over two months asked me to be his girlfriend. I was fifteen and he was seventeen. :) 

Six and a half years later....

Letteer asked me to be his wife today! We have grown up together, and our relationship has gotten stronger every year.  We have been inseparable since 2006, and I can't ever imagine life without Letteer.  He's my best friend....how lucky am I to get to marry him? :) 

I have not stopped smiling from ear-to-ear, since he asked me. He has made me the happiest girl in the world---as cliche as that may sound!

So here's how it went down.... ;) 

After church and lunch with Letteer and his family, Letteer asked me when we got back to his parents, if I wanted to go on a bicycle ride.  I was wearing my dress, but thankfully Letteer's mom offered to let me borrow some of her clothes for the ride. :) 

We rode to a wheat field after awhile, and Letteer told me I looked pretty, and he wanted to take a picture of me standing in the wheat field. I laughed, and he asked if I remembered one other time we did this.  I did...the first summer we started dating, Letteer did the same thing. So, at this point, I was starting to suspect something...but I climbed into the field, and he took a few pictures on his phone.  After taking the last picture, Letteer "dropped his phone." But when he bent down to pick it up, he took out the ring and stayed down on one knee... I was already crying by this time, so I wasn't sure what he was saying until after the fact, but he said, "You may not be the same girl I fell in love with six years ago, but you're still the girl of my dreams. I love you. Will you marry me?" ...And you know the rest! :) 

I can't believe that Letteer was able to surprise me.....I thought I would see it coming, but I really didn't. He completely shocked me today! I'm so unbelievably happy and I can't wait to be Brittany Lewis!!! :o) 

Sold...no refunds ;) 

Time for a Change!

This has been such an exciting (and a little scary) past couple months.  I have made the decision to accept my job offer with the Academy for Urban School Leadership in Chicago! :) That means I will start earning my Master's from National Louis University in Urban Education in July, then this fall I will start teaching for five years in an inner-city school in South/SW Chicago! :o) I am so excited to get started with this new chapter in my life.

I have spent the last three  months looking for an apartment in my new city. I had met a girl through the AUSL program, but she decided to take another job opportunity. Then I started looking with a girl who I met through my first roommate, and that also ended up falling through. Fortunately, this was all happening at a time when Letteer is also looking to move to a new (more affordable) place. SO... after deliberating for about three weeks, we came to a decision to look for a 2br place together!! I am so so so excited to take this step with Letteer.

            

On May 22 (my golden birthday), Letteer took me APARTMENT HUNTING! :) The last place we looked at, we both fell in love with! It was a 2br vintage greystone, and it was GORGEOUS.  It had a huge kitchen, a garage, and so much charm.  However, we were only one couple out of 35 others who loved it so much. Although we were ready to cut a check right then, the landlord wasn't ready to accept our offer, so we had to wait a few days to hear back.  Fortunately, Letteer is very persistent, and stayed in close contact with the landlord.  That Saturday, Letteer called to tell me that WE GOT THE PLACE! :o) So here it is...

http://livelovely.com/listing/1615880/1646-N-Oakley-Ave-Chicago-IL-60647

It is such a relief to know that when July comes, I have a place to live, and not only that, it is with my best friend! :) I am comforted and overjoyed to know that I will have him with me as I start this journey in the Windy City!