Classes started on Tuesday. I'm a student again. By this time next year, I will be done with being a student. That's so neat. In fact, not only will I be done with being a student, I will have students! Well, maybe. I don't know whether I'm going to start teaching in the spring or wait until the fall.

Anyway. Before I get to telling you about my classes, I need to show you this picture of these cupcakes I made. First and (probably) last (for a while) cupcakes I've ever made. Fuck cupcakes.



They tasted good, too.

I've only met with two of my three classes so far: Teaching for Scientific Inquiry and Literary Assessment and Instruction for Upper Elementary. Both professors seem to be of the "I'm going to work you hard, but you'll learn so much!" mindset. I wish they could help me learn so much and not work me quite so hard. The syllabi look so intense. Lots of due dates, lots of ambitions projects. I might be busy this semester, especially since I have jobs now. Ambitious projects include: tutoring a 3rd-6th grader who has mastered basic word recognition but needs help with reading comprehension and/or writing skills for at least 15 hours and keeping an extensive journal on his/her progress, keeping a "writer's notebook" by writing down random stuff for 10-15 minutes a day, and writing tons and tons of lesson plans. TONS.

Whatever. The writer's notebook will probably be good for me, hopefully I'll be able to use the lesson plans in my later life, and tutoring is good practice.

I'm just complaining before I dive in. Moan, moan, moan.

In other news, Keegan and I have made a few trips to the Terrapin Trader, the warehouse space/store for furniture that UMCP doesn't want anymore. If you're OK with having your house look sort of collegey/dormy, it's a great deal. We got Keegan a desk, a chair, and a little shelf thing to act as his new altar for a grand total of $15.90.



Yesterday, we went again for bookshelves. Fifty dollars and a lot of rope later, they were pretty securely in my car and I gently drove home. And now, look! We have shelves in our dining room! I've been cleaning out and decorating that room for the past few days, and I think it looks pretty great. It's a liveable/lived-in space now!





I'm proud of myself.

In other news, I enjoy having penpals. I haven't started teaching Creative Kids yet; my first lesson is scheduled for Monday. I hung out with Paul on Tuesday for an hour or so, and it was thoroughly pleasant. I picked up Elizabeth from the airport because she's back from Latin America and will be in my life this semester! Keegan and Elizabeth and I discussed taking Salsa lessons together. I bought my (cheap!) bus tickets to and from New York for spring break. I live cheap. I'll have more money soon, thanks to being employed. I have awesome kittens. Life is great.