My Blog Coming and Going

    Having kept it going for six months, it's possible my blog might not be just a flash in the pan.  I really want to keep at it because it feels really good to have a place to unload my stuff.  And I thank those of you who read it.  (You can claim you were under duress when you clicked the "follow" button if you like.) 

     That being said, I have no idea where this is going.  For those who don't know, in three short weeks I am starting a master's in teaching program so I can teach middle school and high school English.  I was just told at orientation Saturday that this will be the most intense 15 months I have ever had.  Although I appreciate the honesty, that felt like a lot to throw at a prospective class of teachers who will come out of this with the ability to earn slightly more money than an employee at McDonald's.

     Right now I have no idea how blogging is going to fit into my new life.  I feel completely out of the loop this last week just having to interview nannies for my children.  What's it going to be like when I have to do some real work?

     Also between making time for homework, squeezing in children's activities, and finding time for my husband and myself I do wonder where blogging will fit.  It will probably still happen at 11:00 p.m., but instead of my children catching my eyelids drooping it will be a professor whose opinion actually matters.  It might be time for me to invest in Starbucks.

     I'm going to try to have some fun in the next few weeks before I start "the most intense 15 months of my life."  After that, I'll be around in whatever form I can manage; whether it's lurking and silently judging your grammar, or sleepily piecing together a mostly coherent post once every other month (call me optimistic!).  And when I'm finished you should expect nothing less from me than perfectly polished blogs and a whole new realm of blog fodder.

p.s. After reading a few comments I feel like I need to put a disclaimer on this.  I'm not going anywhere.  It's just that in the short time I've been in the blogging world I have learned that true blogging requires give and take.  I'm feeling guilty (mom guilt and now blog guilt, ugh!) that for a while I might be taking a lot more than I am giving and you should know the reason.  See?  I'm being selfish for a reason.  Doesn't that make it all better?

Rapunzel Pencils and Test Day

     My newest life adventure involves me returning to school for a master's degree in teaching.  In order to student teach this year I am required to pass the California Subject Examination for Teachers (CSET) proving that I know enough English to actually teach people.  For English there are four tests that have to be taken and all four are pass/fail.  These are the tests I have been preparing for these last two weeks.

     Saturday morning I woke up at 6:00 to get ready and get to the test in plenty of time.  I had everything I would need for the test including 5 pencils, my trusty white eraser (the only kind I use since taking art classes), directions to my location, and my study notes for last minute cramming.  I got to the sight early, locked my purse and cell phone in the trunk and took the necessary items to check in.

My test taking location.

     These testing rooms are seriously like Fort Knox.  All your personal possessions are taken away from you (save your pencils), you are fingerprinted, and your ID has to sit on your desk through the entire test.  For a room full of test takers getting everyone set up takes at least 30 minutes.

     As I am patiently sitting at my desk waiting to be fingerprinted, I notice everyone around me has yellow pencils that actually say #2 on them.  Oh crap!  I just pulled random pencils from my kids' box at home.  Mine have Rapunzel.  I'm not sure Rapunzel is a #2 pencil.  What if I take the entire test in a pencil that is not #2? 

My "vitally important professional test taking" tool of choice.

     At this point I begin having a complete break down convinced that even if I ace all the tests no one will know and I will have to sit through this hell again.  This is when I start thinking that maybe I can barter with the smart guy next to me who brought 5 beautiful yellow #2 pencils.  Maybe he can spare just one for me.  I would even be willing to offer him Rapunzel in exchange if he wanted.  Who am I to say what he might like? 

     Trying to be calm and quiet, I lean over and politely start "I know this is going to sound really silly..."  To which the young man replies in a loud (probably not that loud, it just seems loud because the room is so quiet) monotone voice that "I'm sorry, but I'm deaf."  Now everyone is staring at the woman who tried to start up a conversation during quiet time (me) and I'm still stuck with my 5 Rapunzel "going to make me fail because the machine won't read the dots right" pencils.

     I resigned myself to my private hell.  No, I never got an official yellow #2 pencil.  Yes, I finished all four tests with 2 minutes to spare (whew!).  And hopefully I pass the tests, but if I don't, I am so blaming Rapunzel!