The End

Ok, so its been 2 months since my last post! Lots to update everyone on.

I am currently sitting in my sisters apartment, desperately searching for a new job. If anyone knows ANYONE in Chicago I really need a job!

So, Amate has ended. I haven't written because I haven't really come to the realization of this yet. I officially moved out yesterday. Really hard to do because so many of my roommates still live there but since I can live rent free at Kayla's I had to do it sometime.

The end of working at Visitation was a whirlwind of craziness. I really miss my students but I do not miss the craziness of the school and all of its drama. It was good to say goodbye. Hard to know the school is in a hard place like most catholic schools in Chicago. But it was time to move on!

The end of Amate was really hard. My house is super close and we had a wonderful closing retreat. Made me realize how much apart of my life they all have become. We have had fun the last few weeks enjoying summer in Chicago and spending time together. I am so glad I decided to stay in Chicago or I would be a complete mess leaving. I had a hard enough time just moving out of my house!

Now onto whats happening after Amate. I head home for a vacation on Friday which I can't wait for. Its been almost 4 months! Then I am back here to move into a new apartment! I will be living out of my suitcase for awhile until I can afford furniture but I am so excited!!! I will be starting at DePaul in September. Can't wait to get back to school!

I know there aren't many details in this but I have to get back to my job search. Applied for 14 so far. So far= zero replies. Say some prayers!

Bri

Springtime in Chicago!

Wow, really bad at this blog thing! So, updates on my life. Right now I am trying to decide between grad schools. Super exciting but also very stressful. I got into both schools I applied for BU and DePaul for MEd in School Counseling. But now I have to make the decision to either stay in Chicago for another 3 years or more or return to Boston. Right now DePaul for many reasons actually looks like the better option and I really don't want to leave Chicago! but each day is different. I have to make a decision by May 15th! School is very painful these days. I really lose my cool a lot which makes me mad and then frustrated. I wish I really loved my job but I just don't and that makes it more difficult. We have 24 days left of school....but I'm not counting. There are many factors for my frustration but I know that I have learned a lot this year regardless. I will miss my kids I am sure but if I am in Chicago I can always visit when I need a fix! I don't hate it though. The kids are still funny when I take a step back and reflect but in the moment it is not funny. Like when I have to yell into the bathroom to a child to "stop scratchin his booty" or when I threaten them with things like juice. like that even matters to them that they lose it. I wish I was better at writing down comments that they make because they are ridiculous. Also, I have never watched Spongebob but I could tell you at least 4 characters and what they would do in a certain situation. I also LOVE it when they tattle on each other. ok not at all but sometimes its beyond ridiculous. Today a girl told on someone because they said "teeth". I am not sure how that is bad but that is my life. Constant noise, tattling, and booty scratching. My roommates are all getting ready for the next step. Grad school for a few people. Law school for another. Some are staying on as paid staff at the worksites and the rest are actively looking for employment. Say some prayers! We had our big Amate Magic event last Friday. It is held at the Ballroom at the end of Navy Pier. Beautiful event. Great food, open bar, and music. Couldn't ask for more! We all got dressed up. I wore fabulous purple shoes and a black dress. We got to spend the evening with people who really love what we are doing which is so nice since most people don't understand why anyone would give up a year of their life. I will post some pictures later! I am in week 8 of my training for the 13.1 Chicago race. Everything is going well and I am feeling strong still on my runs so I am pumped about that. I can't believe I have lasted this long! 8 miles on Sunday! I am off to read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. I needed a book that could distract me while I avoid making a real life decision! I hope all is well with everyone. I wish I could be home this weekend seeing Juju get ready for her first PROM and for Mothers day because my mom has been so wonderful to me, this year especially. I will be in Maine July 14th for Road Show 2009 aka Roy family S**t show. hahaha. I can't wait. I don't know how long I will be home for but hopefully enough time to see everyone! bri

How do seals know how to clap?

I can't believe March is coming to an end! Time is going by so fast now and I keep forgetting to update! I went home a week ago for my spring break. It was a short trip but fun to spend time with family and friends. I don't know if I can make it back before July but I hope to finagle a way! Along with my whole house I am starting my job search. Not quite sold on any particular profession. I know I don't want to be in a school as of right now. My experience has given me insight about where I am at in my life and what I really feel I should be doing and that does not include teaching preschool. Probably every again. Love my kids, but I am so bored with my job. So now I am looking in to College Admissions and non profit work. We will see. Lots of time has been spent on working on my resume and now I am onto working on cover letters for a job or two. Say lots of prayers! As for school, we are finishing our 3rd quarter. I can't believe how quickly it has come. My kids have grown leaps and bounds for the most part and it is so cool to see them reading sight words or finally learning to write their own names. We have a new playground that has really helped them run off excess energy so that has been a blessing! On our way back into class one day one of my students asked how seals knew how to clap. It was such a sincere question and it made me realize how much I really do enjoy my time with the kids. I looked it up on google for him but did not find much information. I am compiling information on how seals bodies are constructed and the training of seals. He really wants an answer! Anyway, as much as I am looking forward to the next step in life I am also trying to enjoy those moments with the kids because I know time is running out. Speaking of running, I am currently training for my first half-marathon! I am only just ending my second week of training but I am having fun with it. My co worker Jess is training with me but she can't actually run the race so I am going to need your prayers on June 7th! Its been fun to explore new running routes and see the city and the neighborhoods I live near. I hope all is well with everyone and thank God its finally Springtime! bri

Are you kidding me ms. roy?

Last weekend we ventured to Michigan for our winter retreat. I drove 103 miles through Indiana and into Michigan. That drive made me realize I may not make it across the country. There is NOTHING to see! It was just flat and boring haha. Anyway it was a nice time to get away and relax. My parents came into town to see Kayla's show so I met up with them when I got back. They stayed at my house on Monday night and came to school with me on Tuesday. The kids loved all the attention and it was great for them to see the craziness of my day. My dad was so great with the 3 year old boys and played cars with them. Mom was great with helping them learn how to use scissors and cut. Julia went and helped the other class but she had fun reading with the kids. It was so nice to see them and very nice to have help in my class!! For our retreat every house had to do a skit about why we are the best house. We decided to do a video. In the video we stole one of the houses cars (Blue Suburban) and drove it around the north side filming with it. We all got up early (6am) on a saturday to film and it came out so good! The link below will take you to it. The song and idea are not ours, we copied it from the Where the hell is Matt? video. Sorry for the quick update but I have a good book to curl up with! Hope all is well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XPOXgR5UYeQ P.S. When I get frustrated with my kids I say, are you kidding me?! A lot. Apparently its caught on because one of my students has started walking up to me and just saying it. I have a hard time not laughing because it just makes me sound ridiculous for saying it so much. Kids are great at throwing things back at you! Bri

I saw God at the Barack Obama Parade!

haha ok, so I try to write down quotes my students say but I have fallen behind lately. Here are a few as of late "Ms. Roy are we going to do yogurt again?" (I do yoga with my 3 year olds for movement) A conversation today "I saw God at the Barack Obama Parade, I said HI and he said HI, He was SOOO happy!" haha ok so I really need to get better at writing them down because they are so hilarious without trying sometimes! Yesterday was our 100th day of school! I can't believe its already been that long. Days go by so fast! I have been keeping busy with school because I have taken on more of a teaching role and that means coming up with activities for the 3 year olds that fit standards. I am really into yoga right now so we do a few poses every day. It is so funny because I struggle touching my toes and they try to come and help me. We also play jumping jack counting games. Basically just trying to exhaust them before lunch so they will sleep. I am really loving my job right now. Even on days when I can't believe they have so much energy. I have also been tutoring an eigth grader and it has started to really work well for her which means I sort of know what I am doing! Amate is great. We are going on our winter retreat in Michigan this weekend. I am really excited but my parents and Julia are also coming into town so I don't get to see them for very long. They are going to come and see my classroom next Tuesday. I can't wait for them to see the chaos in my life! Chicago has been warm the last few days which means we have space to park on the streets without all the snow. However, I am not getting my hopes up for an early spring! Also, my roommate Ryan and I had been driving a teal mini van to work. I took it in to get the oil changed and it turned out to have leaks everywhere and instead of fixing it they took the car to the junk yard. So then we had to take a teal saturn with the side mirror falling off. Every morning we had to jump it because it did not like to start in the cold weather. However, I think we had payed our dues because we inherited a Honda Accord from another house. It has a radio that works. Both doors open and shut and the engine purrs (in a good way). It has been so frustrating to take those cars to work with us because we never knew if we will make it! But now the car is so nice so we have to be careful on these awful South Side streets. I hope all is well with everyone and Happy Birthday Mom!!! Bri

Long time coming!

Wow, I can't believe how long it has been since an update! So, I am now back in the routine of work and Amate after a great 2 week (love teaching!) vacation at Christmas. Many of you know that I surprised my family by bringing Kayla home for Christmas Eve and Day. It was awesome and we all had so much fun together. I got to see friends and family and that was really fun! Now, it has been so cold here in Chicago that school was cancelled on Friday. I've never had that happen before but it has made for a nice long weekend! And Tuesday at school will be crazy because even Preschool is going to watch the Inauguration! I am so excited and sad that I can't be in Washington but so grateful I was in Grant Park on election night. All the papers around here are just buzzing with headlines about it and commemorative editions of papers. I just keep praying for his message to be fulfilled! In terms of my job, I got a phone call a couple days after Christmas informing me that my co-teacher's father-in-law had died on Christmas day. That meant I was taking over the class for Monday and Tuesday of the first week back! I was nervous and excited to be in charge. The kids came back and were so tame it was unbelievable. They all were exhausted and slept for 2 hours the first day. That however was short lived and they are now back to their crazy selves. Some of them gained attitudes over Christmas break and it has been tough to discipline when they just make faces at you and laugh. I still really like them despite that and enjoy my co-workers. I don't think I can stay at the school any longer than June but it has been really fun. Amate House had the honor of eating with Cardinal George from the Archdiocese of Chicago. I was very impressed and awe struck at him. He is the President of the United States Bisops and was able to vote for the next Pope. He talked to us about everything and anything. Instead of giving canned answers he really thought out his answer and it felt like he was very present with us. He is such a busy man it was amazing that he would come for 3 hours to eat and talk with us. We even celebrated his birthday! Sorry this was so disjointed. I keep forgetting to update with funny happenings etc... I will take pictures of the items people place in their parking spots in order to keep them. I hope all is well with everyone! You are all in my prayers!

Thanksgiving and More

So, Kayla and I locked ourselves in her apartment on wednesday and did not leave until saturday. it was both awesome and crazy. we made thanksgiving dinner for two which was funny. Kayla (being a college student) has almost nothing to cook with. We had three paring knives to cut potatoes and a ten pound turkey with. no mixer or even a potato masher, just forks. And an oven that does not let you know when it has reached the right temp. you can see in the pictures above it was quite the experience. also, i was sufficiently grossed out by the preparation for the turkey. so disgusting. but it all turned out very well thanks to moms wonderful recipes and preparedness (we got a package of goodies!) we spent the rest of the time reading the twilight series books. it was so nice to have an actual vacation! I think I got a little too used to vacation because this week was CRAZY! the kids love to tell on each other and tell me what the other said. about 0% of the time is it something bad. it was really trying my patience today and so i tried to explain to them what tattle telling was. it did not work. thank God it is friday because I need a break already! 2 weeks from today I will be back in Maine! I can't wait to come home and see everyone! Chicago is absolutely frigid but with way less snow. Our road gets no sun so its a sheet of ice. We have seven cars. One car is dead and it won't jump. one was in a bad car accident yesterday (breaks didn't work) and the others are not in the greatest shape. some have no heat. some have issues with power steering. to say the least say prayers for us because half of the cars are at least 14 years old and are not really in the best shape! miss and love you all! bri