Happy Easter!

As most of you know I am a Russian Orthodox Christian. This Sunday is our Easter and things are hectic to say the least because it is also the last Sunday before the finals. I have had to find ways to balance out a lot of things. At least now I don't have to hold the news of my eldest daughter's engagement any longer since she has had her boyfriend ask my dad yesterday. She is adopted by my parents but I still consider her my baby too. She is only 19 years old... I am happy that she has found a responsible partner, and I do like Pete, respect him... Just sad though that time really flew by: seems like just a few years ago she was a baby, and now she is planning on getting married in August. I have gotten so much gray hair sprouting this past week than I have had in a long long time. With my internship year possibly starting this August you can just imagine my emotions at this time! I must look so responsible to someone up there! I can just hear "C'mon Nus, I know you can handle this! Show me how you can juggle" Ohh well... bring out the gigantic calendar and a set of colored markers, an excel spreadsheet for budgeting, and a help wanted ad that accepts teenagers. Here is to the future Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Pete and Charitina Stephanoff!

Farewell Fairbanks

Today ends the intensive part of our ED 486. Tomorrow at 4 A.M. we begin our journey home, leaving at 6 and reaching home at 5:30 P.M. The class seemed quick and interesting. I really enjoyed it. It was good to be able to talk to all my classmates face to face and spend time with them. I am so looking forward to being back home again and seeing my baby...babies

life in the temp dorms

On April 10th a group of Ed students from rural Alaska were brought in to Fairbanks for an intensive class required for our degree. I must admit first that by the time the day was over I felt as though I was pushed through a ringer. Having no alarm clock is an experience I was not expecting, neither was the fact that we are herded together for breakfast and supper where someone goes to the register and says "I am paying for these guys here." You can imagine our feelings as someone who is much younger than most of us tries desperately not to show her embarrassment in this. I was a bit insulted at first, but I am telling myself that I will make the most of this opportunity. It is sad though when after all their reports to get the money they do to help us, using our numbers that we still get treated sometimes like we can't do for ourselves at the most unexpected places. All the more reason to get into those classrooms! One thing that sustains me and keeps my mouth from going and going is something my grandmother told me: "When someone hurts your feelings, leave them alone. God said 'it is not unto you that they do this but unto me.' If you do nothing then God will handle it and it will go back to them three-fold."

Getting the Jitters

During my interview things still felt a bit surreal, I could kind of see myself in a classroom. Some of the questions had me worrying about my memory capabilities but I blamed it on nerves - that was safer than the alternative in my mind since having a "WHOA THERE -WHAT??" moment right in the middle of answering a question from those who have my not-so-far future plans in their hands would not be good. After the interview things were worrisome with me nit-picking over my answers and what I should have said instead...then the weekend where the assignments were beginning to seem all the more closer to the actual planning within the classroom arena. I got to thinking about all the steps it will take to make sure I am ready for August. That got me knocking off days: Oh its only 29 days until Maxine is due..that gives me until May. It will take about a month to kinda settle into a routine with both babies that takes May, then there is fishing in June...then I made a mistake. I looked back. Hey..its April already. Not only that the first week of April is gone...How the he** did THAT happen??? Oh my GOD I am not going to be ready. I can do it but I will need major help. Okay, help...help...from who...big family. Oh yeah, right - I got a big family...a big family who depends on me to help not the other way around. lol...I think I need to put myself back in denial. Don't look up until after finals! The finals is the finish line for now... brush up for that and I will still be relatively calm by the time the grandbaby comes.

Its Raining! No..Snowing...blowing... agh! Its just yucky out there!

This is one day I am actually happy to be stuck at home! Typical Alaskan early spring weather with the wind going every-which-way-it-can throwing first big globs of snowy clumps onto the window pane then following that with splatters of rain. April 2nd and we still managed to get a good 6 inches of snow overnight. The students are doing the annual standardized tests and I am trying to organize my reading and writing to baby Nicholas' naps and feeding times. I believe by the time he is 4 months along, and if anyone can understand baby babble he would be complaining as much as his older sisters about how long and drawn out my reading assignments are. Since I have overused the "oh you're so handsome!" and "such a big boy!" that even I am tired of hearing myself use those terms, I have resorted to reading aloud my assignments to baby. Wouldn't it be a bummer if he ends up going to Preschool quoting Linguistics, differentiation and reader's workshop methods? Got to go - he woke up again... Here's to a 52 page chapter on Instructional Adaptations!