I Am From Poem

This past semester, as a part of my exit portfolio from Curriculum & Instruction 658, I was required to compose an original writing sample. One week, we modeled a type of poem called the "I Am From" poem by George Ella Lyon. You can view the original model here, if you like.

Anyway, writing this poem over the course of the semester offered me an opportunity to reflect on all the little things that have contributed to my development as a person, as well as how I got to where I am today. Enjoy!

I Am From...

I am from the little gray house

And then the bigger yellow house on top of the hill.

(The one that’s great for sledding.)

I am from the Old Country- Germany-

Back where everything written with your right hand;

Apparently I’ve been doing it wrong this whole time.

I am from hours and hours of music theory

And seemingly endless piano recitals;

The dusty trophies are sitting in a box somewhere in the basement.

I am from Christmas at Grandma’s house,

With too many people crowded into the kitchen;

All of us passing around bienenstich, sub sandwiches, and disgusting fish-in-a-can.

I am from German camp in Michigan,

And basketball tournaments in LaCrosse,

And endless cheerleading fundraisers in the Grace Christian Academy lobby.

I am from meterologist in kindergarten

To lawyer in 4^th grade,

To doctor in 12^th grade,

To teacher in college;

I think I made the right decision.

I am from the white, 1990s Chrysler Grand Caravan called Vanna White

(The name borrowed from Wheel-of-Fortune),

And the 1997 Silver Mercury Sable with the “customized” back bumper,

(Courtesy of a driver who decided not to stop for the red light);

The only two vehicles that have ever been mine.

I am from ice skating in winter

(And pretending I’m really bad

So that Matthew would hold my hand),

To wanting a hockey stick for my birthday

So that I can play with the boys outside.

I am from Vernon, Wisconsin,

To Lakeland, Florida,

And back again,

All within four months

Because I wanted a change and then realized that I was being stupid.

I am from piles and piles of books in the corner of my room,

Which are only outdone by the number of coffee cups on my nightstand,

Because I’m an addict.

Thanks mom.

I am from outgoing child

To shy and quiet adult;

One who hates parties

And who would rather stay home and watch a movie.

I am from child to adult,

Always my parents' daughter,

From girlfriend to fiancee

And now wife.

I am always from the big yellow house on the top of the hill,

But I am also from the new life I am starting

In the little brick house on Beloit.

"Now, walk..."

This week has been absolutely awful. I had all sorts of drama going on in my life: drama with the wedding (from multiple people), drama with the school I teach at, and drama with the school I attend. Also, it was my birthday. (I'm not usually an "anti-birthday" person, but this year I just happened to have a bad day up until I saw Matthew. He definitely knows how to make bad my days turn around- *hint* cheese and Starbucks! )

Anyway, I think I had an official bridezilla meltdown. I cried three times.

In one day.

Yep.

I cried once in the car, once in the library at school, and once on the phone. I just couldn't handle everything that was happening at that point; it all seemed like it was falling apart. Everything that was happening seemed to be all about everyone else, and what I wanted really didn't matter.

It might come off sounding completely selfish, but I think that for one day, I should be allowed to have the wedding of my dreams. I should be allowed to have the people there that I want, I should be allowed to have everyone in one place at one time, and I should be allowed the same traditional prerequisite festivities (like a bachelorette party, getting hair done together, getting ready together, etc.) as anyone else. Why shouldn't I? It's probably my only opportunity to do so!

But I digress. Like I was saying, my week was awful. It really helped some situations to sleep on my anger; it allowed me to calm down. Crying helped. Talking things out helped. Realizing the things that I wanted and realizing that I needed to express those things explicitly was a big step for me. It's a very difficult line between being a b**** y bridezilla and telling others how I want my big day to go. I applaud anyone who can go through the whole wedding-planning process and successfully navigate through it and remain relatively unscathed. It's something I'm still working on; after all, I'm only human! But in the midst of me calming down from my latest mental and emotional collapse, I came across these wonderful words of wisdom from the great Randy Fennoli (yep, the guy from Say Yes to the Dress):

Take time to be in the moment. Planning a wedding usually takes a year or two, yet it seems like it passes by in the blink of an eye. Remember throughout the process to take time to enjoy each step. Savor the food tastings, enjoy viewing different venues, and, above all else, what girl wouldn’t enjoy shopping for the gown.

The same should be applied to your wedding day. Remember to breathe and take in each moment. As the doors of the church open up and you and your fiance see each other for the first time, pause and take in this moment. Look to your family and loved ones who have gathered to celebrate your wedding. Think about the new life you are starting. Now, walk.

- Randy Fennoli

Aah. I needed that.

Much Ado...

Hey everybody!

As you can tell by my last post (and by the history of my Twitter updates), I'm a Packer fan. They're my team. While I might not be crazy enough to go and paint my face green and gold and wear a wedge of cheese on my head, I still cheer for them and watch every game. And as you probably know, the Packers won the Super Bowl! We are the champions!

What? I didn't hear you!

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS!!!!

(suck it, bears and viqueens!)

Ok, in addition to watching the Super Bowl with some pretty cool people (my future sis and bro in law who were in town from MN), I also got to meet my nephew! Here is me holding baby Andrew!



So what else has been going on? Concerning the wedding, so much has been going on! Just under eleven months to go! This week, Matthew and I booked our reception site! I feel so relieved that we've locked down the place we wanted. We had gone to see it over the summer, and nothing else compared with what we wanted look-wise and budget-wise. Also, Wendy, the lady who we will be working with, is super nice. She was the only person who actually asked questions about me and Matthew when we were looking! I am very excited to have one less major thing to worry about on the wedding checklist!

Like I said before, I found my dress, but still haven't gone back to purchase it yet. Maybe soon! I'll keep you updated.

Elsewhere in my life, school started up again for the semester. (Yes, I know this is old news, because it was, like, three weeks ago, but it still feels like the semester just started.) In addition to some very interesting and informative English/Education classes, I've also journeyed into the world of online classes. I'm taking two this semester. So far, it's going just swimmingly. It's hard to remember to do the postings and tests/quizzes, but I think it can only get better... right?

Finally, I registered for the Praxis II today... I'm taking it in March, so I have a little over a month to cram! I need to take and pass this exam to be able to student teach in the fall/spring semesters of next year, so then I can graduate (finally!) and be done! Wish me luck!

I guess that's about it! Thanks for reading and at least pretending you're remotely interested in all of this!

P.S. Shoutout to Juan Carlos who always awaits my new blog posts and asks me about when the next one is arriving. Thanks dude! :-)
xoxo

Go Pack Go!

Hello from Wisconsin! If you've been following my blog at all, you may have noticed my Twitter feed to the right of the page... and if you've noticed that, no doubt you've been reading them... and if you've been reading those updates, you've probably realized that I am (like any good girl raised in Wisconsin), a Packer fan!

AND WE'RE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!

It's a very exciting day for me. Ever since that whole Brett Favre ordeal, I think that the Packers making it to the big show further strengthens my belief in karma... you know, "what goes around comes around..."

Brett is filing retirement papers (for the 38th time?) and we didn't need his sorry you-know-what to make it to the biggest game of the decade!

End of rant. I'm just excited. I'm sure my next blog will be nothing except wedding stuff.

P.S.- I found my wedding gown when I went shopping! I have yet to order it, but it's definitely the one!

It's been too long!

Wow! I can't believe that it's been about 2 months since I last posted! Life just gets too crazy, I guess! Anyway, I feel like y'all need an update ;-)

Classes started for the semester, and I finally submitted my school of education application! I won't hear anything until mid-November, though, but once I get in, I'm one step closer to graduation... (and maybe a teaching job? that'd be great!)

I have also started up my running again! I have two-ish goals: The first is to lose 20lbs over the next year so I'm nice and skinny for the wedding. The second is to possibly run a 5K in the spring. Where did that inspiration come from? Well, my darling Matthew, of course! He just completed his first triathlon at the end of September, and he did really awesome! I figured that if he can do all that, I could work towards running a 5K. My weigh ins are about every 3 weeks, with the first one coming up next week. Hopefully all this exercise, calorie-watching, sodium-cutting and Nalgene water bottle drinking I've been doing starts to pay off (and show)!

With all this going on, you're probably wondering to yourself, What about the wedding? Are there any plans she's working on? Of course I have!

This past week, my mom showed me the cutest idea for guest favors (I won't tell you everything yet, but it's super yummy and gluten-free!), so I've got those spinning around in my head. Also, I found the cutest new candle holders online... lovelovelove!



I just love the three different heights. It would add tons of visual interest to the tables, as well as mix it up from boring old tea lights. Anyway, what do you think? I'd love to hear your thoughts on these :-)

I think that's all I've got going on right now... life is busybusybusy! I promise that the next time I write, it won't be two months from now!

It's official:

I've made a ticker for my website:




Yes, I know. I'm a nerd. But now I can rest easy knowing that I no longer have to wonder when my wedding date is.

Anyway, on to an actual wedding update. Yesterday I looked at information that I received from several possible reception venues and emailed a new possibility... There's so much to learn about! Every single piece of information from every single venue is broken down a different way, so there isn't really any easy way to compare pricing among them. Trying to figure it out is enough to give me a headache!

Not that I'm complaining, though. It's super fun to look at all the things out there, and it's exciting to start planning!

I guess that's it for now! Stay tuned for more awesomeness and randomness!