So, it's been awhile!

Wow! I obviously am not very good at this blogging thing and have room to improve on how frequently my updates happen. Hopefully this will be the beginning of a continuous cycle of blogging. Anyways, as sad as it may sound, not much exciting has become of my life since the fall. Other times, I think I should count my blessing for life being clam and very easily predicted. The years of hell we went through recently were enough to last me the rest of my life, although I am sure they are just the beginning of much to come. So let's see... what has been new news in the Nussman house hold? I am finishing my very last two classes at State this semester and will finally graduate May 9th. Up until the past few months, I bragged of my "job security in education." Everyone knows that they will never cut back on teaching positions, especially in a state that pays next to nothing for it. Well, i guess I spoke too soon. Wake county has decided that they will have to cut positions next year due to the downward spiral of our economy. What does this mean for me? It means I am crossing my fingers that something works out. I was banking on a job at the school I am currently working at, but I have come to the realization that I have to take whatever I can get. I am applying to Johnston and Chatham county school systems to open up more possibilities. We will have to see what comes of it. In the mean time, I am enjoying the days I have with the precious first graders I work with. I can't begin to imagine my life sitting in a cubicle working on a computer and having very little interaction with people, especially 6 year olds. I miss kindergarten tremendously, but love these kids just as much as I ever loved my kids last year. For example, I came home very upset last Friday due to the following story:
Recently in our dining room at school, behavior has gotten completely intolerable. For this reason, the admin has asked that the TA's begin sending children straight to the office with referrals so we can begining improving behavior. One child in my class had a hold of my heart so bad it isn't even funny. He is extremely hyper and seems to be constantly gazing off into space. I had reminded him several times about sitting on his bottom and not screaming across the table. Finally, after the 3rd warning, I knew I had to send him to the office. I called him over, sat him down, and began filling out the paper. The tears began coming uncontrollably. He was swearing he would never do it again and that he promised if I just let him go sit back down that he'd "be good." I went through with the referral and sent him on his way as my heart felt like it was breaking. About an hour later when I got off duty, I returned to the classroom where I fully expected to see him sitting with all the other kids like nothing happened. Well, he wasn't there. Another half hour went by and he still wasn't there. All I wanted was for him to come back so I could hug on him and love on him and tell him how "sad it made my heart to do that but I had to because I had reminded him too many times." Tiffany then asked me to take the class to recess so I did. I stood outside waiting for him to return and he never did. Finally after 2 hours of being in the office and with 10 minutes left of recess, he walks out the door. I asked him to come over to me, gave him a huge hug, and told him the above speech. I asked him what happened in the office. His response? "I don't know. They told me not to sit with Nick anymore, not to scream, and then they made me sit in this chair and........ ummmm......... fuu... fulect... no flect...no frect... no.... I don't know! It's when you have to sit in this chair and think about what you did."

Needless to say, I wanted to eat him up! But the precious things that happen with these kids everyday make me so happy to be in education. Regardless of what my job is next year, I know I will be with children and that's all I care about.

I guess something that has become quite the exciting topic in our home is our plans after Samuel graduates next May. Before now, we just assumed we would stay in Raleigh for a while before we headed back to Davidson county to build a house. From there, I may teach a few more years before a masters as would he. The latest draft of our plans for the next years consist of us moving next summer for my to start a graduate program somewhere. That's right, somewhere. As of right now, the programs I am most interested in are UNCC, Wake Forest, NC State, UNCG, and as horrid and despicable as it is to even type with these fingers, UNC. I can't help it. Their masters in counselor education looks incredible. Obviously, we will see what happens, but those are the current thoughts floating around right now. The one thing about UNCC is that they offer a masters of spanish in translating and translation studies. Samuel seems to be quite drawn to that as an option for grad school. We shall see!

Well, I guess that is, in a nut shell, some of what has been going on here in the wonderful city of Raleigh. We love it here and I get incredibly sad thinking of the day we leave here. It truly holds some of the most wonderful memories of my life! Well, off to watch the Pack play in the ACC tourney.... Let's Go Pack!