While I'm Waiting: August Update

This is the August edition of my Spain series. To read the previous update, click on the link below:
July update: The Comeback

Last night, I had a hard time falling asleep. I'm sure you know the feeling -- too many thoughts bouncing around in your head. What's interesting is that some of the thoughts keeping me awake were none other than first-day-of-school plans!

I'm sure this doesn't come as a surprise, but, as my coworkers sit through trainings with national brain expert Eric Jensen, host Open Houses with cute glow sticks, and sit around kidney tables with their teammates to collaborate, I feel ... left out!

That's one part of me. The other part -- FREEDOM! -- is very content to sit this one out.

I mean, to all the teachers out there, do you have time to puzzle over a Sudoku for an hour each day? I thought not.

In this month's post, I bring you:
1. Status Check
2. While I'm Waiting
3. Episode 2 of FAQ's
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1. Status Check

I still have an appointment in early October with the Spanish embassy in San Francisco. This appointment is an interview to obtain my Religious Worker's Visa. The main document I need for this appointment is my FBI background check, which I am still waiting for.  There are also some documents from Spain that I am waiting on. I am praying that everything arrives in time for my appointment!

2. While I'm Waiting

I'm not just sitting on my buns, waiting for documents to arrive, surfing the web, and munching on potato chips (although these activities do consume more of my time than I care to admit)!

I'm actually keeping pretty busy, and I'm enjoying this short season.

First, you should know that I moved out of my condo almost 4 weeks ago, and I am now living with my parents (and Oliver) again. I've made it my mission during my time here to make a significant dent in the mounds of fruit overflowing from freezer shelves and refrigerator drawers. Can you say - raspberry pie? Blueberry muffins? Nectarine crisp? 

I was informed by my property management company that the renters moved into my condo earlier this week. Yay for additional income to cover my mortgage while I am unemployed!

One thing about having more time on my hands is I can give myself fully to projects. Normally, I would have the shadow of schoolwork and classroom prep looming over fun events and often limiting my participation. It's been very freeing to give myself more fully this summer. For example, in July I got to help my church put on its first vacation Bible school! Also this summer, I got to throw a bridal shower for my engaged (now married!) cousin, share some memories with my high school classmates at our 10-year reunion, and participate in another cousin's classroom set-up for her first year teaching! I really like this season of being open and available. 

That said, I am picking up a job starting this Friday, working in the orchard under my dad's supervision. I'll be behind the pickers this pear harvest, checking the trees for unpicked fruit. It's a small job that I've done before, and it only last a few weeks, but I'm grateful for it, because every little bit helps!

One last thing: while I'm waiting, I'm praying for Spain, and for the people I will meet there. I've heard it said: "What you pray for, you get a heart for," and, especially after the recent tragedy in Barcelona, I see that God is giving me a heart for Spain.

3. Episode 2 of FAQ's

FAQ: What am I doing with myself now that I'm not getting ready for a new school year?

See #2 above. :)

FAQ: What's it like living with my parents again?

It's like I never left, except in one regard: I feel less entitled now after having had my own home, and more like a guest in their house. I think this is a healthy change!

FAQ: Am I going to come back with a handsome Spaniard on my arm?

I swear, this is the MOST frequently asked question, in all its variations, often not even posed as a question. (It's funny - the non-Mexicans will ask this with an "Oooh-la-la" flair, while my Mexican friends and relatives spit it out with a look of disgust.)

So, people, let's settle this once and for all. Of COURSE I'm not opposed to the idea, but - please! If you know me at all, you know I am not actively looking for a husband (obviously - if I was, I'd have one by now). 

And that, ladies and gents, concludes my August update. Please chime in below ↯if you have questions I didn't answer, and tune in next month for more of the same ;)

Hasta pasta, 

Dahlia

Summer Reading List

Hello, ladies! I hope you are enjoying your summer. 

I am basking in my family's last few days visiting relatives and and seeing sights in Mexico, so I wrote this post WAAAAY long ago (sometime in June). Since then, my reading list hasn't changed, but I've already finished some, so those have been marked.

Here's a peek at my Mexico trip, and my summer reading list will follow!

(In both photos, you can see my white self on the far right, by my clearly not-white cousin America.)

At the start of 2014, I set a few resolutions. One of them involved increased time spent with friends. What better way is there to bring friends together than with a great story and great coffee?

Granted, I'm not too much of a coffee drinker, but I'll take a good story any day. 

So I formed a book club, albeit a small one (just a couple of friends and me). We read a book each month and discuss it weekly-ish over coffee (or tea) and a flaky pear tart,....or an almondine, or a croissant cinnamon roll, or a blueberry muffin, or...shall I go on? Don't worry. I won't. Because that's not the purpose of this post.

*Ahem.*

Without further ado, 

My summer reading list:

Book Club books:

1. At the Back of the North Wind by George MacDonald (now finished! It was a re-read.)

2.  The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Teacher books:

3. The Essential 55 by Ron Clark (Finished during a camping trip in June. :)

4. The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (Also finished, during this trip to Mexico! I HIGHLY recommend this book to ALL parents, teachers, aunties, older siblings...)

4th Grade Books:

5. How to Steal a Dog by Barbara O'Connor

6. Streams to the River, River to the Sea by Scott O'Dell

So there it is! 6 books, which is perfect, because I dug up some research to share with my students that said the magic number of books to read over summer break, in order to retain what you've learned as a reader, is 6. I am *expecting* them all to read 6 books over the break, and I'll be reading my 6, as well. 

What are you reading? I'm interested to see!

Linking up with Morgan at Follow and Believe (here's the URL to her blog, since I can't embed a link on my iPad: http://follow-and-believe.blogspot.com/2014/07/july-nas-post-summer-reading-list.html )

Summer and My Twenties

One of my favorite things to do on a free day is cook lunch for my parents. I like to think that it blesses them as much as it's beneficial practice for me.

[This was actually breakfast one day - French Toast w/ strawberries]

However, I have had what seems like much too many of these free days since school got out June 13th.

While it was fun cooking up mac and cheese, tomato-and-green-bean soup, crispy baked chicken, sweet cornbread, and all that, I started going stir-crazy! So I created a summer schedule for myself:

• Monday - Work at school
• Tuesday - Thursday - Domestic duties in the AM, appointments and errands in the PM
• Friday - Work at school
• Saturday & Sunday - Weekend!

I thought it looked like a great schedule, and I was very proud of myself for thinking of it.

Unfortunately, I haven't done a good job this week of following the schedule. We'll keep working on that.

In other news (I noticed I say that a lot), I feel, along with my friend Samara, (specifically in this post) that a time for change, for action, for happening, is here.

David Crowder's words come to mind:

I think I'm on the brink of something large

Maybe like the breaking of the dawn

I've thought before - what other time in your life is like your twenties?

Source

All I need to do is revisit my old journals and diaries (I've journaled religiously since the fourth grade) to see that, while life until 18 was pretty predictable, the 20's have brought some major life events for me, like:

• Career choice
• College graduation
• Beginning a career

...and, eventually,

• Moving out
• Getting married
• Having my first child

Granted, this might not all happen while I'm still in my 20's, but, even if most of it does, those are some HUGE firsts in one decade. A lot of growing up, growing into, and becoming, you could say. 

Source

For today, that's a wrap.

Picnicking and packing up

Well, folks, it is finished.

First year of teaching = over (as of Thursday).

Crazy!

I spent a few hours yesterday packing up my classroom for the summer...reflecting on memories from the year and making plans for next year.

Like the pen pal picnic.

The kids loved meeting their pen pals. We face-timed between classrooms the day before, to build anticipation. It worked! But then it's funny how, when the kids finally meet, they are so bashful. Mario and I have come upon a keeper. You can see from the photo that Oliver (and my mom) got to accompany us. Some of my girls loved doting on "Ms. Avila's little brother."

I was not able to find a picnic basket locally, and even online they were mostly out of stock. But that was okay. My aunt lent me her wonderful traditional picnic basket, and I have my eye on one that I want to buy for next year.

So ends the first episode of Ms. Avila: Fourth grade teacher.

Tune in next September for episode two. :)

In the meantime, summer holds some promising memories of its own...