Cheers and Jeers for Oh-Eight

*Please note that these are MY personal cheers and jeers. You won't see any crap about the economy or Bush or Obama here. I'm sorry to those of you who are very political-minded and world-savvy, but I prefer to keep it light. Read it and weep.

Jeers:

1. Pink Slips - I was "fired" for about a week at the end of the school year due to budget cuts. I was hired back (along with the other hundred or so non-tenured teachers), but other jobs in the district were cut. Although I wasn't particularly worried at the time, nothing will crush your spirit or insult your self worth quite like a pink slip.

2. Dog poop  - yes, you read that right. Our neighbors' dog, Sadie, was hit and killed by a car last year (that's another story for another time), and they promptly showed their stupidity by buying a bigger, more energetic pup. We share our duplex with them, and therefore our yards as well. Their dog, Dakota, "makes" all over our yard. In the summer, it bakes. In the winter, it rests gently atop the frozen glory. I've spoken to them AND my landlord to no avail. So now I've taken to shoveling it all from our side onto theirs. Ah, the sweet smell of passive aggressive retribution!!

3. Hurry Up and Wait - Seth applied to several Physician's Assistant schools this year, and now we are anxiously awaiting to hear back from the last few. Rocky is still in the mix, and the idea of staying in Billings is beginning to grow on him. The hard part is that everything is sort of on hold until we know what we're doing. Keep your fingers crossed and shoot a couple prayers to the Big Guy for us.

Cheers:

1. Seth - If you know him, you know I'm lucky. He puts up with a lot from me, and loves me unconditionally. 2008 marks our eighth year "together". I know it's a rare thing for high school sweet hearts to last this long and be this happy, but we're proof. My sisters claim that we may be the strangest couple they know, but man... we do laugh a lot.

2. Employment - I love, love, love my job. The children in this year's class are extremely bright, conscientious, and loving. Their parents are supportive and easy going. My coworkers are inventive, generous and hold my hand when I need help. Seth is getting great on-site experience at Billings Clinic and we are very lucky to have similar hours so we can spend time together. 

3. Summer Vacation - This summer I worked at CARE Academy, an "educational" summer camp run by the school district. The hours were perfect - 7 am to noon - and the field trips and time spent outside playing kickball were glorious. It was easy and fun and allowed me plenty of time to ride my bike, take naps, and go on several camping trips and even a trip to Mississippi! Ah... summer...

4. Babies - 2008 was the year of the babes, no doubt about it. Smith and Mason turned one, and Maddox, Ella and Jack were born, in addition to the more distant friends and relatives who welcomed new family members or are expecting them in the coming year.

5. Twilight - You know I had to. 

I think I'll leave it like that. It's hard for me to think back over the past YEAR, because I tend to think in school years, so it feels like last January (with an entirely different group of children, and different classroom) couldn't have possibly been part of this year. As I wrote this though, I realized that I really had to stretch to come up with more than a few jeers. Isn't that great? I consider it a good sign when cheers outnumber jeers. 

May your list of cheers outnumber jeers this coming year, and may 2009 bring you love and happiness! Happy New Year.