2-Year Plan

I came across this quote today on a blog that I frequent:

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive."

- Howard Thurman

What makes me come alive?  Photography.  Looking at it.  Studying pictures others have taken and thinking in my own mind what I would have done differently.  Getting my camera out and snapping 50 pictures of Ava playing with bubbles.  What about teaching, you may ask...well, there are some "come alive" moments, but mostly there are I don't want to go moments.  And when can I be done with this profession moments.  And get me the hell outta here moments, where I feel like I'm barely treading water in a class full of rambunctious 8th graders who think it's okay to fight in my classroom on the 4th day of school.  (Thankfully, I won that battle and there was no fight to be had..."not in MY classroom!")  It all kinda makes me feel like doing this:

It's time to install the 2-year plan.  This plan basically means two more years of teaching and then...photography.  Full time.  Days full of taking pictures, of editing, of updating a photography blog and building my clientele.  And let me tell you, I cannot WAIT.  It means learning and taking classes right now.  It means brushing up on my business skills and taking a hundred looks back at our budget to make it work.  It means buying a new computer and figuring out complicated editing software.  But I am determined to make it work!

In the meantime, I am still trying to find the bright side of teaching.  So far for this year:

I am teaching three different types of classes: advanced, regular, and sheltered ELL.  It makes the day a bit more interesting to have such an array of students in my room.

Looking out over the sea of heads and collared shirts and school books to see that all students are bent over a writing assignment, pen to paper, scribbling as fast as possible about the best moment of their summer break.  8th graders look downright cute when they are focused on their work!

And any day that I wake up before my alarm and lie there for 10, 20, 30 minutes...or any day that I feel extra tired even though I didn't wake up before my alarm...or any day that ends in "day," (okay, just kidding) I treat myself to Starbucks.  Just a little perk to get me going in the morning, no matter how much I'd rather be at home or how messy my desk has become after just one week of school.

But, even if you love your job, there is nothing better than the weekend, and this weekend was no exception.  We spent some time with Jeremy's family up in North Manchester, IN...not just to visit them, but also to attend two of the Fun Fest activities: the parade and the fish fry.  Daniel, Stacey and Claire were also up in Manchester for Fun Fest, as well as Daniel's sister and her family, so we all sat together at the parade and let the little ones get acquainted.

It was Ava's first parade and despite the hot, muggy air, she seemed to enjoy watching the floats go by.

Xander and Ava were NOT fans of all the fire truck sirens... 

Most of the people in the parade threw candy to the crowds, but one nice group provided the sweating spectators with popsicles!  Ava usually isn't one to enjoy eating something that cold, but she sucked up her cherry popsicle like it was going out of style.

Besides the parade and fish fry, we relaxed with family and enjoyed time together.  We turned on the bubble machine and watched as Ava changed from unsure, to quietly watching, to raising her arms and trying to catch the floating orbs.

We ate too much food, talked and laughed loudly, and sucked the life out of the weekend.  It ended before I was ready, but Ava reminded me that it's always back to work as usual...

I sure hope the days of the week fly by the next two years, but I will be sure to cherish every single weekend in the meantime.