The Way I See It, I need to make some changes. I have been thinking allot about what makes me happy and I'm not so sure my job is really doing the trick. Sure the vacations and summers off are unbeatable. Teachers still get a pension after you retire and the benefits are amazing. The only problem is these nagging words in my head that my mother has always said to me. "Don't do something you hate. No matter how much money you can make, no matter what the vacation package is like, if you hate your job it can make your life miserable." And the more I think about it it's true. Why should I do something that makes me unhappy for the rest of my life, just for the "perks" of the job? My job takes up more time everyday than the people and things that I love. If you are a teacher you know what I'm talking about. Yeah we get "out of school" at 2:30, but what teacher actually leaves at 2:30? And if they do, how much of their time at home is spent on grading papers, preparing lessons and just getting organized for the days ahead? Trust me when I tell you hours upon hours are spent at home doing just those things and then some.
So I have been trying to find things that make me happy. For example, because I have such a wonderful husband we dog sit here at the house for a few people that really need our services that don't want their dogs to be stuck in a kennel while they are gone for 15 days. So for a mere $10 a day we take care of your pup like it's our own and I love doing it. I have thought of opening up a doggy daycare/boarding place but that defeats the purpose of why people bring their dogs to us, it's WAY more expensive then just watching a pup here and there in our home, and of course it will be a HUGE time constraint. You are basically at your business everyday for most of the day, unless you are lucky enough to make enough profit to bring in some reliable people to work for you, which is the doggy daycare world is few and far between. Not to mention the fact that the "busy" season is during the holidays when Chris and I are off in other states to visit our relatives. My next idea was to do the doggy sitting at our home which would supplement part of my income and then get a part time job at a retail store that I shop at and BONUS I would get a discount on all that I buy. Not too shabby I'm thinking. Then of course there is that lack of health benefits, job security, and dwindling of our savings account that scare me half to death.
In order to potential get out of teaching and put this not all together thought out plan into action we first need to save money. The first thing I can think of where I know we can cut back in on our grocery bill. We are two people, it should not cost us anywhere from $300 to $400 dollars a month to eat. And this is not including when we eat out. This is just looking at our bank account, going back 4 months and totaling just our grocery spending each month. I know what you are thinking. Are U Kidding ME!!! No, unfortunately, I am not. So I have been reading different blogs and joining different coupon saving sites in order to save some money. Then I came across this blog/magazine called All You, where a women is feeding a family of 4 on $60 dollars a week. No I didn't forget to add a zero or make a mistake with the 6. So if she can do it on $60 dollars why can't we cut back to $40 dollars a week. Meaning we should only be spending $160 a month on food. So starting in November that is my own challenge to only spend $40 a week on groceries. From what I read I'll have to start planning meals, using coupons and really buckling down on what we spend money on. Most things will have to be made from scratch so apparently I'll have to find the extra time in their somewhere.
My question to you is...How do you cut back on your grocery bill or any bill for that matter? What are some greats sites that you have found and use to save money? Help a girl, trying to improve her happiness meter ;)
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
I LOVE Fall
'09 Apple picking
I am so excited to try some new recipes that I just cannot stand myself. I feel like a kid again because of how excited I am about going apple picking this weekend and my husband official thinks I'm nuts. I am a little nuts, but life just wouldn't be any fun if I weren't. Apple crisp will be baking after our orchard day-o-fun and my friends are sharing recipes like crazy. I have been scouting out recipes to try and will be starting my list tomorrow of all the wonderful new meals to try.
It seems like when fall comes, things just fall into place and I am whole. I love this season, if you cannot tell. I'm so glad to have been married during this time of year, it just makes it all that much more special to me. Pumpkin carving time is in the works and we're picking out our costums soon. Walking the dogs in the usual places seem so different this time of year, its as like we took a new path in our neighborhood.
I wonder though...do alot of people feel this same way about my favorite season as I do? What are some of your favorite fall things to do? Recipes to share?
So... How late are you?
The Way I See It, today was a pretty fantastic day. My students were on point. They participated, had fun and learned somethings about themselves. I am caught up on my filing, I didn't have office duty today (that's a whole other blog) and life was smooth sailing. Then the last period of the day a student asks if she can speak to me in the hallway. Of course! I say enthusiastically and we head for the hall. Then her happy, smiling face fades to scared with a twist of am I really about to tell my teacher this? Whats going with you? I say, thinking she needs more time to do her make-up work since she has been out. "I think I'm pregnant." comes out of this 16 year old young ladies mouth. In my head I'm freaking out, not because of what she just said, but being new not only to this school but to the school district I have NO IDEA what the policy is regarding such an issue. Then she adds, "And I need you to help me figure out how to tell my mother." Why me!!! Is raging through my head at this point. Followed by how do I fumble my way around this doozy in order not to get fired for saying something outside of our school policy.
Here is some background info on public schools. Every last freaking one has a different policy on "sex" issues. Now I have worked in some pretty strict districts. Some of them so strict that showing the slightest bit of attention to the fact that our students do have sex outside of marriage, could get you fired. Other districts it's acknowledged, but definitely not spoken about. Then there are the few that are more up-to-date, so to speak, and you can just say it like it is.
So here I am and off I go into the unknown. I ask her the common questions like have you taken a test, when was your last period and are you usually regular? No, months ago and Yes are the responses. Then she adds and I've been getting sick allot, which is why I missed class. In my head I'm thinking, yep your prego and I'm the first person you tell, how is this going to end. Then I realize that my co-worker who is teaching the parenting class and has been in this very district for over 28 years, has got to have better answers and solution than I have and knows the boundaries. At the same time I also realize she has no class at this time and can totally bail me out. I tell my student about my lack of knowledge of the area and where, she at her young age, can go without parent consent to get an accurate test done. Then I say would you be willing to talk with this other teacher because I just know she will be much more helpful than I could be. She reluctantly shakes her head yes and off we go from the hall to the classroom next door. As my student stands there scared and afraid to utter those four words to yet another teacher, I ask her if she is still willing to talk about it. She nods. I say do you need me to start you off. She nods again as the color drains from her face. So off I go at the mouth, probably looking as scared as she does, while I explain to my co-worker what is going on. All I can really do is thank the Lord that my co-worker stepped in and knew exactly what to do. I find out later that this school is pretty liberal in their views about sex and teens. By liberal I mean they at least acknowledge that it happens and want our students to go to adults instead of their friends to get the facts. This was pretty refreshing to me since, unfortunately, this kind of thing happens everyday.
So I ask you...What would you have done if in my position? Do you think teachers should be mandated to tell parents if their child suspects they might be pregnant? How far can/should the school go to help these teens out?
Here is some background info on public schools. Every last freaking one has a different policy on "sex" issues. Now I have worked in some pretty strict districts. Some of them so strict that showing the slightest bit of attention to the fact that our students do have sex outside of marriage, could get you fired. Other districts it's acknowledged, but definitely not spoken about. Then there are the few that are more up-to-date, so to speak, and you can just say it like it is.
So here I am and off I go into the unknown. I ask her the common questions like have you taken a test, when was your last period and are you usually regular? No, months ago and Yes are the responses. Then she adds and I've been getting sick allot, which is why I missed class. In my head I'm thinking, yep your prego and I'm the first person you tell, how is this going to end. Then I realize that my co-worker who is teaching the parenting class and has been in this very district for over 28 years, has got to have better answers and solution than I have and knows the boundaries. At the same time I also realize she has no class at this time and can totally bail me out. I tell my student about my lack of knowledge of the area and where, she at her young age, can go without parent consent to get an accurate test done. Then I say would you be willing to talk with this other teacher because I just know she will be much more helpful than I could be. She reluctantly shakes her head yes and off we go from the hall to the classroom next door. As my student stands there scared and afraid to utter those four words to yet another teacher, I ask her if she is still willing to talk about it. She nods. I say do you need me to start you off. She nods again as the color drains from her face. So off I go at the mouth, probably looking as scared as she does, while I explain to my co-worker what is going on. All I can really do is thank the Lord that my co-worker stepped in and knew exactly what to do. I find out later that this school is pretty liberal in their views about sex and teens. By liberal I mean they at least acknowledge that it happens and want our students to go to adults instead of their friends to get the facts. This was pretty refreshing to me since, unfortunately, this kind of thing happens everyday.
So I ask you...What would you have done if in my position? Do you think teachers should be mandated to tell parents if their child suspects they might be pregnant? How far can/should the school go to help these teens out?
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